Protests in Iran have been ongoing for nearly a week in response to the death of Mahsa Amini, 22, on Sept. 16.
Amini was reportedly beaten by police and died two days later in a coma caused by a skull fracture. At least 26 people have been killed in protests following her death, and fatalities are expected to increase.
The Iranian government has been unwilling to allow the protests to continue. Iranian citizens have been cut off from the internet, and female special forces have been deployed for the first time in a bid to quell the protests.
The Iranian government is calling the movement an “evil strategy from the enemy to weaken the Islamic regime.” Counterprotesters in support of the government have called for executions of anti-government protestors.
The U.N. has expressed its disapproval of the situation in Iran. On Sept. 23, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said to reporters: “We are concerned about reports of peaceful protests being met with excessive use of force leading to dozens of deaths and injuries. We further call on the authorities to respect the right to freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly and association.”
The situation has intensified throughout the past week and has the potential to result in more than 1,000 deaths. It parallels the Iranian government’s response to the 2019 gas price protests.
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