Iranian police and security forces have responded with great violence, according to DPA agency witnesses, to a protest called on Saturday night in the Kurdish city of Mahabad, in the northwest of the country, where riot police have made an appearance in tanks and fired indiscriminately against demonstrators.
The city has also been temporarily without electricity as residents evacuated the wounded. It is not yet known if there are any fatalities.
Tasnim news agency gave a different account of the situation, claiming «armed terrorists» had set fire to private homes and public facilities on Saturday night, sparking panic in the entire city.
Several leaders of the suspected terrorist groups were arrested, Tasnim said, citing local security authorities.
This Sunday, Iran’s Judiciary has summoned five actresses and other personalities from the country’s public life to seek explanations for their support of protests against the death in custody of young Kurdish-Iranian woman Mahsa Amini after she was arrested for allegedly wearing the veil incorrectly.
The actresses have been identified by the official Iranian Judiciary agency, Mizan, as Elnaz Shakerdost, Mitra Hayar, Baran Kaushari, Sima Tirranzah and Hengeme Ghaziani, all of whom have been cited for publishing unspecified «provocative content.»
As of this Sunday, Golmohammadi and Kosari’s pages were no longer available on Instagram.
Likewise, the Tehran Prosecutor’s Office has also summoned Persepolis FC soccer club coach Yahya Golmohammadi and former reformist MPs Mahmud Sadeghi and Parvaneh Salahshouri to testify, according to Mizan’s information.
At least 342 people have been killed, including at least 43 minors and 26 women, during the authorities’ crackdown on protesters over Amini’s death, according to the latest toll this week by the NGO Iran Human Rights.
