Iranians Chant 'Death To Khamenei' Amid Heavy Security

State media in Iran only published scattered reports about the arrests in different cities and did not disclose any details about their identities or the circumstances surrounding their apprehension. 

Regime authorities only label the detainees as "vandals" and "counter revolutionaries," accusing them of "disrupting public order" or “planning sabotage.”

Human rights groups have identified a small number of the arrestees. Several family members of the protesters who were killed during last year’s rallies are among those detained. Fahimeh Moradi -- the bereaving mother of 19-year-old Yalda Aghafazli -- and Jaber Najafi -- the father of Hadis Najafi, who was shot dead by live bullets, were among those who were arrested Saturday.  

Iranian actress Hanieh Tavassoli was also arrested Saturday and released on bail the following day. Theater director Ali Nourani and poet Nima Safar were also arrested on Saturday. Nourani was detained after regime agents raided his home but there is no information on how Safar was arrested. 

Internet shutdowns have also made verifying the extent of oppression difficult as the regime disrupted down the country's internet system over the anniversary period.

People in numerous Iranian cities took to streets on Saturday to mark the day Mahsa Amini died at the hands of the morality police, the incident that sparked Iran’s largest anti-regime protests known as the Women, Life, Freedom movement. 

Despite internet disruptions, videos surfaced online showing demonstrations throughout multiple cities, including the capital Tehran, Karaj, Mashad, Ahvaz, Lahijan, Arak, and several Kurdish majority cities such as Sanandaj, Divandareh, Baneh, and Marivan as well as Mahsa’s hometown Saqqez. The turnout was not as large as last year’s protests amid a massive security presence. 

Iranian security forces especially cracked down on protests in Kurdish areas of the country - Amini of Kurdish-Iranian heritage - and briefly detained the father of Mahsa Amini. The Revolutionary Guards also claimed they have detained a dual national suspected of "trying to organize unrest and sabotage."

Judiciary and security officials have refrained from announcing the exact number of detainees, but the Saturday arrests were reported in dozens of cities including Gorgan, Fasa, Bojnourd, Zahedan, Zanjan, and Qeshm. 

Rahim Jahanbakhs, the police commander of West Azarbaijan Province, said that 137 people had been detained, charged with "disturbing public opinion in virtual space." Most of the arrested individuals published various content “to mislead public opinion and inciting unrest.” 

Javad Hashemi, the Deputy for Political, Security, and Social Affairs of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province Governor office, said “at least 15 protesters" were detained in Dehdasht city.

In Kordestan Province, Amanollah Gashtasbi, the IRGC commander of the province, reported the detention of "14 individuals" in the nighttime rallies in the cities of Sanandaj, Divandareh, Baneh, and Marivan. In Esfahan (Isfahan), police announced the detention of "10 citizens" for "intending to create turmoil."

The report by the reformist newspaper Ham-Mihan states that out of every five prescriptions issued, one is for antidepressants or sleep-inducing medications.

The report also links the mental health of Iranians to social issues, including protests.

Following the recent uprisings, numerous experts, including university professors, mental health specialists, and sociologists, expressed concerns about the state of Iran's society. Four mental health associations also voiced their concerns about the mental well-being of citizens in a statement.

The newspaper emphasizes that since last year, many individuals have been contemplating migration as a way out of their current situation.

Earlier this year, Saeed Moeedfar, the president of the Sociological Association, warned that Iran is on the brink of a "severe wave of migration" and described a "terrifying despair" gripping society, particularly its youth and intellectuals.

These predictions of an impending massive migration wave come at a time when estimates suggest that roughly one-tenth of the country's population, equivalent to 8.5 million Iranians, currently live abroad as migrants.

Ham-Mihan, citing mental health experts, notes that anxiety and depression, as two of the most prominent psychological disorders, have manifested in various forms in the past year, including an increased desire to migrate, alcohol consumption, substance abuse, and suicide.

During a television program on state television, Esmail Khatib said the Iranian government would take action against the network throughout the globe, emphasizing that the Islamic Republic would not refrain from invasive measures against the workers of the channel. 

He stated, "Support from various countries will not deter us from taking invasive security measures," claiming that several foreign-based channels have promoted “terrorism,” and Iran International is one of the most important ones. 

“We believe that Iran International is a terrorist network, and naturally we deem it our duty and mission to act against them wherever and whenever we deem appropriate,” he said, warning that “no terrorist media will be safe.” 

Following a significant escalation in state-backed threats from Iran and advice from the London Metropolitan Police, Iran International TV announced in February that it reluctantly and temporarily closed its London studios and moved broadcasting to Washington DC. 

Iran International was warned by authorities in November that its journalists were under threat from Iranian agents and the police took measures to strengthen security around the network’s offices.

The channel's broadcasts have gained special significance since popular anti-regime protests broke out in Iran last September. Iranian officials have repeatedly threatened Iran International and other Persian broadcasters based abroad as the government blocked the Internet to deny the population news and information.

Mahmood Enayat, General Manager of Iran International TV, said in February, "A foreign state has caused such a significant threat to the British public on British soil that we have to move. Let’s be clear this is not just a threat to our TV station but the British Public at large. Even more this is an assault on the values of sovereignty, security and free speech that the UK has always held dear... We refuse to be silenced by these cowardly threats. We will continue to broadcast. We are undeterred.”

The Iranian regime has blamed foreign-based Persian broadcasters such as BBC Persian and Iran International for “fomenting unrest”, while all media in the country are under tight government control and present protesters as “rioters” and “terrorists”.

The US Department of State, Belgium-based International Federation of Journalists, and Australia’s Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance are among entities that expressed support for Iran International and stressed the importance of safeguarding journalists' security and press freedom following the relocation of Iran International’s London office.

Regime authorities, including several Revolutionary Guard commanders, have repeatedly issued threats against Iran International and other foreign-based media outlets. 

Following the relocation, IRGC Commander-In-Chief Major General Hossein Salami said the threats against the channel’s journalists "show how far the Islamic Revolution's realm of power, field of infiltration and radius of influence has extended."

Amid repeated threats by the Islamic Republic against Iran International’s reporters, the UK government vowed in December to step up protection of London-based Iranian journalists.

British officials also expressed strong support for Iran International. Tom Tugendhat, the UK's Minister of State for Security, has repeatedly condemned Iran's threats against the network. He affirmed that the UK would continue its support for the network, ensuring its activities in a secure environment.

Vowing to step up protection of London-based Iranian journalists, British Foreign Minister James Cleverly said during a session in Parliament in December that the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO), in partnership with the Home Office, had ensured that the Iranian journalists were protected by the British police.

“The UK remains absolutely determined to ensure that Iran does not intimidate people within this country. We will always stand up to the aggression from foreign nations,” he noted, adding, “We will absolutely not tolerate threats, particularly towards journalists who are highlighting what is going on in Iran, or indeed any other individual living in the UK.”

A man was arrested in the vicinity of Iran International’s headquarters in February and charged with a terrorism offence. 

In May, Britain’s shadow security minister slammed the threats against journalists covering Iran’s protests. Speaking on World Press Freedom Day, Holly Lynch, the Labour MP for Halifax, said the threats by the Iranian regime include “assassination and kidnap plots against UK residents who are perceived as enemies of Iran owing to their coverage of the protests and the regime’s brutal crackdown”.

The head of Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP), Assistant Commissioner Matt Jukes in London said in February that “At its sharpest, this has involved police and MI5 working together to foil 15 plots since the start of 2022 to either kidnap or even kill British or UK-based individuals perceived as enemies of the regime,” he said. 

Despite ongoing threats, Iran International will soon inaugurate a new building in London.

Prominent Iranian political activist Hossein Ronaghi penned a message, highlighting the unwavering determination and boundless courage of Iranians to bring about change in their country and “dispel the prevailing darkness”.

In his statement, Ronaghi acknowledged the relentless attempts by authorities to "disperse, isolate, and stifle the voices of activists through threats, repression, discord, and various tactics." Nevertheless, he asserted that such efforts have thus far failed and expressed confidence that they will not succeed "in silencing the collective will of the Iranian people."

Ronaghi, 37, has maintained his position as one of the most fearless critics of the Islamic Republic, refusing to leave the country despite facing multiple arrests and periods of detention over the past 13 years. His commitment to advocating for change led to his detainment in 2009 for his involvement in post-election protests, and he was once again arrested in February 2022 for criticizing a bill aimed at restricting internet access in Iran.

Meanwhile, Shirin Ebadi, a prominent Iranian jurist and recipient of the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize for her human rights efforts, particularly in advocating for women, children, and refugees, addressed a gathering of Iranians in Washington during the commemoration of Mahsa Amini's anniversary.

Ebadi underscored the paramount importance of unity, affirming that Iranians would not allow external forces to exploit their internal differences.

She went on to invoke the sacrifices made by the Iranian people throughout history, including significant events such as the Green Movement, Bloody November, and others, urging Iranians not to allow "the memory of such sacrifices to fade away."

The clashes between several young female protesters and the plainclothes security agents in the city of Parand near Tehran were what prompted Ali to rush into their defense. Alas, little he knew that his not-to-be forgotten act of bravery would cost his own life. 

Ali Seyedi had just celebrated his 25th birthday when Mahsa Amini, the young Kurdish woman who has emerged as a new symbol of Iranian women’s resistance against the theocratic dictatorship, passed away in hospital on September 16, 2022, due to the wounds inflicted upon her in police custody. 

Mahsa’s death shook Ali to the core like hundreds of thousands of others all over Iran. He promptly joined the wave of protests and commenced posting anti-government content on his Instagram account. 

However, this was not adequate to quell the flames of anger in Ali’s soul and quench the thirst for change simmering in his heart. Despite, the imminent danger he was well-acquainted with, Ali joined the ranks of thousands of other protesters who poured into the streets across Iran on October 26, 2022, which marked the 40th day after Mahsa’s death. 

“Ali saved the girls, but the plainclothes forces shot him in the torso at close range, then dragged his wounded and bleeding body to the side of the street. A few hours later, when they saw that he was in critical condition, they abandoned him and left the scene,” Zhila Khakpour, Ali's mother recounted.

It took the Seyedis hours to finally find a lead about Ali’s whereabout. The police contacted the family around 5 AM the next day, only to inform them of Ali’s devastating death. Consequently, the backbreaking pressure from the authorities on the family for denying the fact that Ali was shot by the government forces and during a bloody day protest commenced. From menacing threats about not returning Ali’s corpse to his family, to depriving his parents from holding a public funeral for their son and arresting his brother and several of his friends at the cemetery where his tomb is situated, the regime knew no boundary. To this day, the Seyedi family continues to face ongoing pressure to keep them silent. 

This has not been an isolated incident confined to the Seyedis. Over the past year, it has been the path that many grieving families have walked. These families lost their wives, husbands, daughters, sons, brothers, and sisters to the brutal crackdown on the widespread anti-regime protests in Iran last year. This trajectory has been especially common among those seeking justice for their loved ones who unjustly perished.

Until now, no one in the upper echelons of the autocratic regime has even remotely acknowledged any responsibility for the ruthless suppression of the protesters.

Reverting to its previous pattern of escalating suppression when confronted with demands for accountability and justice as the first anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death approaches, marking the initiation of what many Iranians now call the "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement, the regime has once more turned to its well-worn strategy of issuing threats and spreading fear among the grieving families.

Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, a Norwegian-Iranian human rights advocate and the director of the NGO "Iran Human Rights," has observed a significant increase in the persecution and prosecution of the victims' families. This surge can be directly attributed to the growing influence of the "Movement for Justice Seeking" for the victims of the regime in Iran, led by these families.

Furthermore, resorting to harassment of the protest victims’ families or anyone who can raise their voice, is closely related to the existential threat that the Iranian regime has faced following the outbreak of protests at Mahsa’s death, according to Amiry-Moghaddam. He added that the regime's tactics of intimidation and suppression are attempts to extend its longevity. The human rights advocate, however, deemed that fearmongering and suppression “might temporarily save a dictatorship, but sooner or later they would lose their control over the people again as such regimes lack stability.”

When evaluating the strategies employed by regimes that constantly fear facing the anger of their citizens, one of the most common approaches is to take preemptive measures to silence all dissenting voices. Consequently, in recent weeks, numerous outspoken members of grieving families who have either actively engaged on various social media platforms or maintained contact with other families, channeling their mourning into various forms of protest, have been summoned or arrested by regime forces.

The Iranian authorities have not disclosed the exact number of those arrested, nor have they provided reasons for their detention. In certain cases, they have even arrested lawyers who were representing these individuals, seemingly attempting to hinder the sharing of information regarding the families' status.

Moein Khazaeli, a journalist and human rights researcher based in Sweden, has suggested that the relentless crackdown by the Iranian regime's intelligence apparatus is motivated by their realization that "the justice-seeking families of the victims have become the face of the Woman, Life, Freedom movement in Iran." Consequently, the regime has prioritized suppressing these families by intensifying pressure on them, aiming to erase the identity of the protest movement and silence its voice, at least temporarily.

Sources familiar with the situation have informed Iran International that the authorities' main goal is to compel the arrested individuals into a vow of silence. This entails refraining from organizing anniversary ceremonies in memory of their loved ones and avoiding posting any calls for protests on social media.

The same fate befell some outspoken families of the protesters killed in what is commonly referred to as the “Bloody November” back in 2019 when mass protest rallies across Iran over the rising fuel price, soon turned into a call for toppling of the regime and received a violent reaction from Iran’s clerical establishment. 

Reuters news agency reported in December 2019 that about 1,500 people were killed during less than two weeks of unrest including at least 17 teenagers and about 400 women.

Highlighting a similarity between the events of Bloody November and the Woman, Life, Freedom protests in Iran, Amiry-Mohghaddam pointed out that the efforts of the families of the 2019 crackdown victims have played a crucial role in reshaping the face of the Movement for Justice Seeking in Iran and attracting more international attention and recognition. As a result, the Iranian regime has sought to escalate its endeavors to restrain any actions by the families in ht elatest round of protests who are actively seeking accountability and justice for their deceased loved ones.

As the first anniversary of the Woman, Life, Freedom protest movement approached, the bold call for justice once again rose stronger and more determined than ever before. It stands as a precursor to the eventual downfall of a tyrannical regime that has consistently disregarded the needs and aspirations of its people. The departed have arisen to confront their oppressors and carry on their quest for justice.

“My son was a hero; he saved his fellow countrywomen. However, I always regret that he left without saying goodbye. We have not yet revealed the extent of the pressure that they (the Iranian regime) have exerted upon us; what I have recounted is merely part of the harassment we suffered,” said Ali’s sorrowful mother. She can only hold onto hope for a memorial ceremony on the first anniversary of her son's passing to ensure his name remains a part of the history of the freedom-seeking movement in Iran.

(This is an article by Maryam Moqaddam and Masoud Kazemi, journalists at Iran International)