Protests rage in Iran’s southeast, amid crackdown call

DUBAI, Oct 21 (Reuters) – Protests broke out in restive southeastern Iran on Friday, with demonstrators attacking banks, state media reported, as a senior hardline cleric referred to as for robust measures towards demonstrators throughout the nation.

The Islamic Republic has been gripped by 5 weeks of demonstrations that erupted after the demise in police custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini final month.

On Friday, police arrested a minimum of 57 folks, described as “rioters”, after protesters threw rocks and attacked banks within the metropolis of Zahedan, provincial police chief Ahmad Taheri was quoted as saying by the official information company IRNA.

State tv mentioned as much as 300 protesters marched within the metropolis after Friday prayers. It confirmed banks and retailers with smashed home windows.

Movies posted on social media purported to point out hundreds of protesters chanting “Demise to the dictator”, a reference to Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and “Demise to Basijis”, in reference to the Basij militia which has been extensively used to crack down on protests. Reuters couldn’t confirm the movies.

Zahedan is the capital of restive southeastern Sistan-Baluchistan province which is the house of Iran’s Baluch minority. Amnesty Worldwide has mentioned safety forces killed a minimum of 66 folks in a violent crackdown after Friday prayers in Zahedan on Sept. 30.

Zahedan’s prime Sunni cleric mentioned on Friday senior Iranian officers needed to take accountability for the Sept. 30 killings.

“For what crime have been they killed? Officers, the nation’s managers, the Islamic Republic’s Supreme Chief (Khamenei) who instructions all armed forces are all accountable earlier than God,” mentioned Molavi Abdolhamid, a number one Sunni cleric, in line with a video of his Friday prayers sermon in Zahedan posted on his web site.

State media mentioned on the time that “unidentified armed people” opened hearth on a police station, prompting safety forces to return hearth.

Sistan-Baluchistan, on the borders with Pakistan and Afghanistan, is a hotbed of Sunni Muslim militant exercise towards the Shi’ite-dominated authorities.

In Tehran, hardline cleric Ahmad Khatami mentioned: “The judiciary ought to take care of the rioters – who betrayed the nation and poured water into the enemy’s watermill – in such a means that others do not once more fancy to riot.”

“They’ve informed deceived youngsters in the event that they keep within the streets for every week the regime will fall. Dream on!,” Khatami mentioned in a Friday prayers sermon, in line with state media.

Iran has blamed “thugs” linked to “overseas enemies” for the unrest.

The nationwide protests have was one of many boldest challenges to Iran’s clerical rulers for the reason that 1979 revolution. Protesters have referred to as for the downfall of the Islamic Republic, though the protests don’t appear near toppling the system.

Movies posted on social media and mentioned to be from northwestern Tabriz confirmed protesters shouting “Disgraceful!” at riot police who shot tear fuel to disperse them on Friday.

Tabriz, Iran’s sixth most populous metropolis, is dwelling to many from the Azeri ethnic minority.

Different on-line movies purported to point out protests within the central metropolis of Isfahan and in Tehran’s Ekbatan highrise neigbourhood.

The activist information company HRANA mentioned in a posting that 244 protesters had been killed within the unrest, together with 32 minors.

It mentioned 28 members of the safety forces have been killed and greater than 12,570 folks had been arrested as of Friday in protests in 114 cities and cities and a few 82 universities.

In the meantime, CNN reported that the White Home was in talks with billionaire Elon Musk about organising SpaceX’s satellite tv for pc web service Starlink in Iran. learn extra

The satellite-based broadband service might assist Iranians circumvent authorities restrictions on accessing the web and sure social media platforms. Iranian activists say movies of protests have been delayed due to the curbs.

Individually, Germany issued a journey warning for Iran, saying there was an actual danger of being arbitrarily arrested and sentenced to lengthy jail phrases, above all for twin nationals. Friday’s announcement raised the warning degree for Iran journey, after Berlin strongly suggested towards it final month.

On Wednesday, an Iranian information company mentioned safety forces had arrested 14 foreigners, together with American, British and French residents, for his or her involvement within the protests.

Reporting by Michael Georgy and Dubai newsroom; Extra reporting by Riham Alkousaa in Berlin; Enhancing by Angus MacSwan, Nick Macfie and Daniel Wallis

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