Iranians take to streets for 12th night of women-led protests

Iranians on Tuesday staged a 12th straight night of protests over the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, in defiance of a crackdown that a rights group says has killed more than 75 people.

The women-led demonstrations flared after the 22-year-old Kurdish woman died in the custody of the notorious morality police for reportedly not observing the Islamic republic’s strict dress code.

A woman is shown with her headscarf removed and waving her arms in the air in the Tehran district of Narmak, in a video shared by Manoto television channel, which also reported a protest in the southern port city of Chabahar.

“Iran remains under internet/mobile blackouts but some videos are still getting out,” the New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran said.

But the Oslo-based group Iran Human Rights (IHR) said at least 76 people have been killed in the crackdown.

Health Minister Bahram Einollahi, quoted by the official news agency IRNA, accused the protesters of destroying 72 ambulances, while activists based abroad say the authorities have been using ambulances to transport security forces.

The crackdown has drawn condemnation from around the world.

Tensions with Western powers have grown this week, with Germany summoning the Iranian ambassador, Canada announcing sanctions and Tehran calling in the British and Norwegian envoys.

Video footage and death certificates obtained by IHR showed that “live ammunition is being directly fired at protesters”, he charged.

At least 20 journalists have been arrested, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

“Content has stopped coming out as it used to. Pockets of access we had to Iran seem to be gone. This is a really frightening prospect for even more bloodshed,” she said.

The Iranian judiciary chief, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, has stressed “the need for decisive action without leniency” against the protest instigators.

“The leaders must listen to the demands of the people, resolve their problems and show sensitivity to their rights,” said Grand Ayatollah Hossein Nouri Hamedani.

The EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who has led those efforts, on Sunday slammed Iran for its “widespread and disproportionate use of force against non-violent protesters”.