1,200 protesters arrested, 41 people killed

More than 1,200 people have been arrested for taking part in the protests against the death of a young woman detained by the morality police, local authorities announced on Monday.

In addition, at least 41 people were killed, according to an official report including demonstrators and police repressing this protest movement triggered by the death of this 22-year-old woman.

On Saturday, the authorities reported 739 demonstrators arrested, including 60 women in Guilan, neighboring province of Mazandaran, in the north of the country. The protests began on September 16, the date of the death of Mahsa Amini arrested three days earlier in Tehran for « inappropriate wearing of clothing » in the Islamic Republic where the dress code for women is strict, in particular the wearing of the Islamic veil.

Judiciary chief wants ‘no leniency’ for protesters

The protest movement spread to several cities in the country, where demonstrators shouted anti-government slogans. « Over the past few days, rioters have attacked government buildings and damaged public property in parts of Mazandaran under the direction of foreign agents, » he said.

On Sunday, the head of the judiciary, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejeï, threatened to show « no leniency » towards the demonstrators and called on the police to act « firmly » against « those who undermine to security”. According to a non-detailed official report, including demonstrators and police, 41 people were killed in ten days of protests. But the toll could be higher, with the Oslo-based NGO Iran Human Rights (IHR) reporting at least 57 protesters killed.

The Tasnim news agency published around 20 photos of protesters on Monday, including women, in various streets of Qom, an important Shiite holy city located nearly 150 km south of the capital. The military and security institutions published these images of the « leaders of the riots » and called on the inhabitants to « identify them and inform the authorities », added the agency.