Death toll from protests in Iran reaches 15; 13 killed on Sunday
A day after Sunday's protest rallies, Iranian state television announced that the protests had left 13 people dead in various regions of Iran that day.
On Monday, January 1, Iran Television News announced the news, stating that the deaths were from the cities of Tuyserkan, Dorud, Izeh, and Shahinshahr.
The Associated Press, while publishing the same news from Iranian state television, wrote that some officials announced that a number of armed individuals in one of the cities were planning to seize a police station, and security forces clashed with them.
In this regard, Mashaallah Nemati, the governor of Dorud city in Lorestan province, announced the deaths of two people in Sunday's incidents in the city. He told Iranian domestic media that during Sunday's protest rallies, a fire truck that had gone to put out a fire at a bank was forcibly seized by protesters on its way back. According to him, the vehicle then hit a middle-aged man and a teenage boy, both of whom were killed.
Hedayatollah Khademi, a representative of Izeh city in Khuzestan province, also told ILNA news agency that the people of the city, like some other cities, gathered on Sunday to protest economic problems, which unfortunately resulted in the deaths of two people and the injury of several others in the city.
He added that it was not yet clear whether the shooting was carried out by officers or protesters, as he said some residents of the city had firearms. However, the city's governor went on to say that one of the two people who were shot was injured.
According to the TV report, three people were also killed in the incidents on Sunday night in Shahinshahr, Isfahan Province. A supplementary report by Iran TV News added that six people were also killed in the rallies in the city of Tuyserkan, Hamedan Province. Hours later, Saeed Shahrokhi, the deputy political and security minister of Hamedan, announced in an interview with ISNA that three people were killed during the protests and unrest in the city of Tuyserkan.
Thirteen people were killed in Sunday's incidents, while two people were killed and six injured in protests in the city of Durood on Saturday. Thus, nationwide protests in Iran have left a total of 15 dead and several injured over the past four days.
Sunday's events came as the Iranian president promised greater government efforts to solve the people's economic problems in a speech. However, protesters in various cities continued to gather, ignoring these words.
While the Iranian President intended to calm the protesters after four days, his words had no effect on the protests, and public gatherings continued on the fourth day of the protests.
Hassan Rouhani spoke about the recent protests in Iran at a government meeting on Sunday, January 1st, but his remarks were recorded and not broadcast live on Iranian state television, and were broadcast with a delay of several hours.
In his remarks, without mentioning the police's violent treatment of the people and the killing and wounding of a number of citizens, Mr. Rouhani considered the protest to be the people's right, but emphasized that it should not lead to destruction. He also said that solving some economic problems would take time.
However, the Iranian president's initial reaction to recent developments had no effect on the continuation of the protests, and the rallies continued on Sunday.
Videos sent to Voice of America and images posted on social media showed police forces clashing with protesters in Iranian cities.
The gathering on Sunday evening, January 10, in Tehran's Ferdowsi Square and various areas of Enghelab Street led to the intervention of police water cannons. Another video showed protesters clashing with police on Tehran's Vali Asr Street and overturning a police vehicle.
Other images showed police clashes and even shooting in the city of Tuyserkan in Hamedan province. Social media users sent VOA news also reported police clashes with protestors in the cities of Isfahan, Shahinshahr, and Shahr-e-Reza.
Images sent to VOA also showed a rally and march in the city of Chabahar, Sistan and Baluchestan province.
In these images, the protesters chant "Independence, freedom, Iranian Republic" and "The nation begs, the leader makes a god."
Other images showed protesters also marching in the cities of Sanandaj, Behshahr, Arak, and Rasht on Sunday.
A protest rally has also been held in front of the governor's office of Maragheh city in East Azerbaijan.
On Sunday, as protests escalated, Telegram’s CEO Pavel Durov announced that the app had been blocked from within Iran by the government. Shortly after, the deputy interior minister confirmed that the government had “had to temporarily impose restrictions” on Telegram and Instagram.
Number of days of widespread protests in Iran
Protests began in Iranian cities on Thursday, January 27. Initially, these protests had economic slogans, but gradually spread from Mashhad to Kermanshah and other cities in Iran. In widespread protests in large and small cities in Iran, protesters chanted slogans against the regime and the Leader of the Islamic Republic.
The US government issued statements supporting the Iranian people and their demands on the second day of the protests. Prominent figures in the US Congress also stated that the United States must stand with the Iranian people.
In recent days' protests, people in religious cities such as Qom also chanted slogans against Khamenei and the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
In Lorestan, there were reports of protesters being killed.
Angry protesters attacked some government buildings, including the governor's office, the judiciary, and the offices of some Friday prayer leaders.
Opponents of the Islamic Republic have welcomed the widespread protests of the Iranian people. Queen Farah Pahlavi has expressed hope that the Iranian people will win their protests. Prince Reza Pahlavi and Maryam Rajavi, prominent figures opposed to the Islamic Republic outside Iran, have also supported these protests.
Source: Voice of America
