Black Sunday in Iran and Europe after the murder of Mahsa Amini by the police

Thousands of Iranians living in Europe have gathered in Paris and London to protest Iran’s government crackdown on protests.

This second consecutive demonstration in two days in Paris to denounce the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, 22, arrested in Tehran on September 13 by morality police for “wearing inappropriate clothes”, coincided with another tense rally in London near the Iranian embassy. « Protesters tried to cross the police roadblocks and threw projectiles at the officers, » said British police in a statement, which reported five arrests.

A demonstrator was arrested for « contempt and rebellion » and a policeman was slightly injured, specifies the prefecture of Paris.
Police used tear gas on Sunday to prevent hundreds of people marching in Paris to protest against the crackdown on demonstrations in Iran from reaching the embassy of the Islamic Republic.

Leaving from the Place du Trocadéro, the Parisian procession headed for the Iranian Embassy to the sound of slogans such as « woman, life, freedom! », echoing those of the demonstrators in Iran, or even « France, silence is enough”. The participants notably criticize French President Emmanuel Macron for shaking hands with his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raïssi during their meeting on September 20 on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, focusing in particular on a relaunch of the international agreement on Tehran’s nuclear program.

At the same time, tensions also erupted during a mobilization in front of the Iranian embassy in London. Police had to push back vehement protesters as projectiles were thrown at the building. At least five members of the police have been hospitalized, including for broken bones, according to the police, who made 12 arrests for participation in violent disorders.

Iran has been rocked by violent protests since the death in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, arrested in Tehran on September 13 by vice squad for “wearing inappropriate clothes”.

Many demonstrators again took to the streets on Sunday, September 25 in Iran, for the tenth consecutive night, in defiance of a warning from the courts, to protest against the death of Mahsa Amini, arrested by the morality police for wearing her veil « inappropriately ».

Dozens of deaths and hundreds of arrests among the demonstrators

The crackdown has claimed at least 41 people since the unrest began according to an official tally, although other sources say the real figure is higher.

The Oslo-based NGO Iran Human Rights (IHR) said on Sunday evening the death toll was at least 57, but said ongoing internet blackouts in the country were making it increasingly difficult confirmation of death.

Hundreds of protesters, reform activists and journalists have been arrested amid mostly late-night protests since unrest broke out following the September 16 death of Mahsa Amini.

On Sunday, the European Union deemed « unjustifiable and unacceptable » the « widespread and disproportionate use of force » against demonstrators in Iran, after nine days of protests.

In a statement on behalf of the EU, the head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell also condemns « the decision of the Iranian authorities to drastically restrict internet access and to block instant messaging platforms », which « constitutes a flagrant violation freedom of expression ».

« The European Union will continue to examine all the options at its disposal, before the next Council (of) Foreign Ministers, in the face of the death of Mahsa Amini and the way in which the Iranian security forces have responded to the demonstrations which have followed », warned Josep Borrell, without further details.

Echoing a warning issued the day before by President Ebrahim Raisi, the head of the judiciary Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei « stressed on Sunday the need for decisive action without leniency » against the main instigators of the « riots », reported the Mizan site. Judiciary Online.

The arrest of journalists in Iran and the interruption of the Internet constitute an obstacle to information and the right to freedom of expression, but it remains to be remembered that all the information collected on the ground, photos and videos, have removed by the police on order given by the justice, in order not to be able to inform the real situation in Iran at the international level.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi promised Thursday an investigation into the death of the young woman, while specifying that the medical examiner had not reported abuse by the police, which the demonstrators dispute.

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Gabriel MIHAI

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