Iranian crackdown continues: at least 215 dead

At least 215 people (including 27 children) were killed by the regime's crackdown on protests that have been shaking Iran for days over the death of young Mahsa Amini while in custody of the morality police. The figures were reported by the Iran Human Rights Organization (IHR). Six women and four children were among the fatalities.

IHR regretted that most families were "forced" to bury their relatives discreetly at night and were pressured not to hold public funerals.

For its part, the regime offers different data and puts the number of fatalities at 41. Iranian authorities also detailed that 1,200 protesters were detained.

The origin of the protests

The demonstrations began over the murder of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was arrested for allegedly wearing the hijab (veil) "incorrectly" and "breaching" the Islamic regime's view of the dress code imposed on women: fully covering their hair with a veil and wearing discreet clothing. Once arrested, she was allegedly beaten into a coma and Amini was taken to the hospital where she died three days later. After his funeral, thousands of people took to the streets and the regime reacted with violence against the demonstrators.

Protests over Amini's death increased as the days passed. Iranian women cut their hair and burned their hijab in the streets. Besides, the demonstrators proclaimed the cry "death to the dictator" (in reference to the Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei) and tore posters with his image.

Six shots ended Hadith Najafi's life

Hadis Najafi, is one of the 76 people who were killed during the demonstrations. She was riddled with 6 bullets according to journalist Armin Arefi. The young woman was famous for her dances on the Internet without wearing the veil and had become a symbol in that country after the dissemination of images in which she appears without the hijab tying a ponytail before going out to protest. Other versions of the incident suggest that the victim was shot 20 times with buckshot.

Concern about repression

UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Monday expressed "concern about the excessive use of force to disperse peaceful protests" in Iran, and called for respecting the rights of Iranian women. In his daily press conference, the spokesman for the Secretariat of that organization, Farhan Haq, said that the Iranian authorities must "respect the rights of freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association".