Iranian protesters conducted demonstrations and strikes across Iran on Sunday after regime forces violently cracked down on Kurdish cities in western Iran overnight, over nine weeks after Mahsa Amini was killed by Tehran's "morality police."
Eilmeldung aus MahabadDie Sicherheitskräfte des iranischen Regimes, darunter das IRGC, Basij und kurdische Söldner, haben mehrere Viertel in Mahabad angegriffen und töten und beschießen Zivilisten.@ABaerbock @Bundeskanzler#ZhinaAmini #IranProtests2022pic.twitter.com/VR5E8Cw5uA
— Ammar Goli (@goliammar) November 19, 2022
Large numbers of Iranian forces entered Mahabad on Saturday evening and began firing heavily in residential areas, according to the Hengaw Human Rights Organization. Footage published online showed armored vehicles and troops headed into the city.
١_ شمار قابل توجهی نیرو از قرارگاه حمزه ارومیه با تسلیحات جنگی و سلاح نیمه سنگین به مهاباد اعزام شدهاند. در قسمت دوم تصویر تیراندازی سنگین آنها در مناطق مسکونی مهاباد شنیده میشود. ههنگاو نسبت به وقوع هر گونه جنایت احتمالی ج.ا در مهاباد هشدار جدی میدهد.٢٨ آبان #ژینا_امینی pic.twitter.com/E1ka7I1Pf8
— Hengaw Human Rights Organization (@HengawO) November 19, 2022
Shots were fired at protesters and residents across the city, according to footage and reports shared on social media and by activists and journalists. In a number of videos reportedly from Mahabad, residents could be heard screaming as volleys of gunshots were heard.
#فوریمهاباد با خطر سرکوب جدی مواجە است. تصاویر منتشر شدە از ورود نیروهای سرکوبگر جمهوری اسلامی با تجهیزات سنگین نظامی بە شهر خبر میدهند.#مهسا_امینی #انقلاب۱۴۰۱ pic.twitter.com/g4b7Kq5yrR
— Truske Sadeghi|تروسکە صادقی (@truskesadeghi) November 19, 2022
Photos published on Sunday morning showed bullet holes in many windows and dozens of casings from the fired bullets. The 1500tasvir account, which has worked to publish footage from the protests, warned of a repeat of the 2019 Mahshahr massacre, a mass killing of protesters during the 2019-2020 Iran protests.
Violence was reported in Bukan, Marivan, Baneh, Piranshahr and Saqqez, the hometown of Mahsa Amini, as well overnight, with a video shared by Hengaw showing bullets fired into a home in Bukan.
شلیک به داخل منازل مسکونی در بوکانشامگاه شنبه ۲۸ آبان ۱۴۰۱#IranRevolution2022#ژینا_امینی pic.twitter.com/DIw08DAxKI
— Hengaw Human Rights Organization (@HengawO) November 19, 2022
Hengaw reported that a number of explosions were heard in Marivan, Baneh, Saqqez and Bukan as drones were flying overhead overnight. Journalist Farza Seifikaran also reported that explosions were heard in Saqqez.
The Sepah telegram channel, affiliated with the IRGC, reported that military and security forces had "cleaned" homes in Mahabad of "terrorists," claiming that armed individuals had used the homes as "hideouts."
The IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News Agency claimed that security force "maintained the peace" while entering Mahabad and arresting what it called "the main leaders of rioters and some terrorist teams."
The Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) warned that a form of martial law has seemingly been imposed in Mahabad, calling on the international community to "not remain silent against the massacre of the Kurdish people."
Despite violence by security forces, protesters continue demonstrations
Despite the violent crackdown, protests continued throughout Kurdish areas of Iran and throughout the country overnight and on Sunday, including in Mahabad, Isfahan, Bukan, Tabriz, Ardabil, Tehran, Marivan and Sanandaj, among other locations.
محاصره کامل کلانتری ۱۳ مهاباد توسط مردم و شلیک مستقیم نیروهای حکومتی به سوی مردم.یکشنبه ۲۹ آبان ۱۴۰۱#IranRevolution2022#ژینا_امینی pic.twitter.com/FB5ET2GmOi
— Hengaw Human Rights Organization (@HengawO) November 20, 2022
Protesters in Mahabad surrounded a police station in the city and conducted demonstrations as police forces fired at them from the walls of the building. Additional footage showed protesters building barricades in the streets of the city.
Protesters in Saqqez, Sardasht, Marivan and Piranshar blocked roads as well on Sunday evening.
Gunfire continued to be heard in Mahabad on Sunday and helicopters were spotted over the city. Helicopters were spotted over Bukan and Saqqez as well.
گزارش از #مهاباد صبح ۲۹ آبان ۱۴۰۱ ساعت ۱۰، ارسالی به صفحهی ماهی سیاه:۱.خبر خوب اینکه با وجود زخمی شدن تعدادی از مردم، هنوز گزارشی مبنی بر کشتهشدن نداریم.۲.از صبح پادگان ارتش به جنبش افتاده و تویوتاها و کا-امها در سطح پادگان میچرخند. سربازها رژه میروند.#مهسا_امینی pic.twitter.com/ywBpMD342F
— صدای شهریور (@SedayeShahrivar) November 20, 2022
Video from Mahabad showed a convoy of Iranian Special Forces vehicles entering the city on Sunday. The person taking the video stated that city is under martial law, according to Seifikaran.
ویدیویی با کیفیت واضحتر از کاروان خودروهای سپاه و یگان ویژه در #مهاباددر این ویدیو دستکم ۲۵ خوردوی نیروهای امنیتی پر از سرباز و مامور دیده میشود و سه پیکاپ سپاه مجهز به مسلسل دوشکا هستند.کسی که ویدیو را گرفته میگوید شهر حکومت نظامی است.یکشنبه ۲۹ آبان ۱۴۰۱#مهسا_امینی https://t.co/9HhjStHRfV pic.twitter.com/zQrpnnOQSP
— Farzad Seifikaran (@FSeifikaran) November 20, 2022
On Sunday, Iranian forces attacked and shot at protesting high school students in Dehgolan, according to Hengaw.
۲. کرمانشاه: لطفا صدای ما باشید. آتش زدن #پایگاه_نجاست در #کرمانشاه. pic.twitter.com/VCu3Wk6MRL
— +۱۵۰۰تصویر (@1500tasvir) November 20, 2022
In Kermanshah, protesters torched a base belonging to security forces in the city. In Paveh, security forces fired at crowds of protesters, according to footage shared by 1500tasvir.
پاوه ۲۹ آبان#مهسا_امینی pic.twitter.com/hzdrKqJDIG
— +۱۵۰۰تصویر (@1500tasvir) November 20, 2022
Students at the University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences were videoed chanting anti-government slogans in support of protesters on Sunday.
ویدئویی از تحصن دانشجویان دانشگاه علوم توانبخشی و سلامت اجتماعی مقابل دفتر ریاست، در اعتراض به بازداشت ۹ نفر از دانشجویان به نامهای #مسعود_قربانی، #محمد_زرزا، #مهدی_معمارراست، #حامد_حسنپور، #حامد_عنبرسوز، #مهیار_محمودی، #آناهیتا_هاشمیپور، #سروناز_احمدی، #مریم_عظیمی pic.twitter.com/Kt2AoeNShi
— Kolbarnews | کولبر نیوز (@Kolbarnews) November 20, 2022
On Sunday evening, security forces began firing heavily in Javanrud and in Piranshahr, with at least four protesters killed and an unknown number wounded, according to initial reports.
On Sunday morning, Iranian actress Hengameh Ghaziani was arrested for "supporting rioters and inciting riots" after posting a photo of herself without a hijab on Saturday, according to IRNA.
US pushes for urgent meeting to kick Iran out of UN Women's Rights Commission
Hillel Neuer, the executive director of UN Watch, reported on Sunday that the US Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, had requested a special meeting of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in mid-December in order to vote on a draft resolution to expel Iran from the UN Women's Rights Commission.
BREAKING: A month after we submitted a draft resolution ⤵️ to expel the Islamic Republic of Iran from the UN Women's Rights Commission, the U.S. has requested a special meeting to make it happen. There's no precedent or procedure for this—it's truly extraordinary. Never give up! https://t.co/JAPe9meg9Q pic.twitter.com/4FVop4iwHM
— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) November 20, 2022