Thousands of Iranians have taken to the streets to protest the Islamic republic’s treatment of women, prompting the supreme leader to make these remarks.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the top leader of Iran, stated that the death of Mahsa Amini “seriously grieved my heart.”
Monday during a military event, Mr. Khamenei termed the death of the 22-year-old woman in prison as a “terrible occurrence.”
Ms. Amini passed away following her imprisonment by Iran’s morality police for allegedly violating the country’s strict Islamic dress code. Her family claims she was subjected to torture.
“Not typical Iranians”
As a result, some of the largest protests in years erupted, and the supreme commander accused “the United States and the Zionist dictatorship” of the unrest.
He stated that they were “organized” by those who were “not average Iranians” and that the security forces tasked with monitoring them were subject to “injustice.”
“Our security forces, especially the police, are responsible for ensuring the safety of the Iranian people. “Those who attack the police leave Iranians defenseless against thugs, thieves, and extortionists,” “he stated.
Dozens killed since the outbreak of protests
In defiance of the Islamic republic’s treatment of women, protesters have come to the streets in 31 Iranian regions, as well as Turkey, Lebanon, and France, among others.
They have dominated the demonstrations by cutting their hair in public and removing and burning their veils.
Since the 17th of September, when the protests began, Iranian official television claims 41 people have perished, but the Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights estimates the number to be 133.
Hadis Najafi, a 23-year-old TikTok celebrity, was among those fatally shot.
Near Tehran’s prestigious Sharif University, mobile phone footage shows security personnel using tear gas and people attempting to flee the gunfire.
Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, the speaker of Iran’s parliament, warned on Sunday that the protests could destabilize the country.
The authoritarian president of the country, Ebrahim Raisi, has launched an investigation into the killing of Ms. Amini and promised to take down anybody inciting unrest.
He previously blamed foreign powers for the riots and claimed last week that foreign nationals were among those arrested in connection with the demonstrations.
What became Mahsa Amini?
According to Iran’s Islamic dress code, Ms. Amini was arrested on September 13 for wearing her headscarf too loosely, which is considered “unsuitable attire.”
She died in the hospital three days after falling into a coma.
Her family has claimed she was “tortured” and that a hospital report indicates she “suffered a concussion from a blow to the head”; nevertheless, the specifics of her autopsy have not been made public.
The Iranian authorities assert that Ms. Amini died of a heart attack and deny that she was battered to death while in jail.
Without providing evidence, independent experts connected with the United Nations assert that sources indicate she was severely assaulted by the morality police.
