Authorities in Iran said Tuesday that 40 foreigners are among thousands detained for their involvement in protests that have been ongoing for two months following the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a woman arrested in Tehran for allegedly wearing the veil incorrectly.
The spokesman for the Iranian judicial apparatus, Masud Setayeshi, has indicated that some of the detained foreigners were «on the ground» at the time of the arrest, after Iran indicated that among those arrested were members of the French intelligence services.
Setayeshi did not give details on the nationalities of these people, before adding that more than 2,400 people have so far been charged for their role in the demonstrations, as reported by the Iranian news agency Mehr.
Among those arrested are two Spaniards: a 24-year-old woman arrested in early November and a 41-year-old man arrested while on foot on his way to Qatar to watch the World Cup. The Spanish government advises against travel to the country because of the crackdown on protests.
Steyeshi has stressed that «the demand of the population is for decisive action against the accused and criminals.» «All are equal before the law,» he noted, before denouncing that «the enemy has shown its true face.» «Today’s terrorists are economic terrorists,» he pointed out.
He also stressed that the judicial apparatus «has carried out its task with precision and speed» and promised that «the terrorists will be brought to justice for their actions». «This evil will end soon», he said, while stressing that «the judicial apparatus does not ignore the blood of the martyrs».
For its part, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has warned that the increase in the number of deaths due to the repression of the protests, including two children killed over the weekend, are a reflection of the «critical» situation in the country.
«We call on the authorities to address people’s demands for equality, dignity and rights rather than using unnecessary and disproportionate force to suppress protests,» said the body’s spokesman, Jeremy Laurence.
«The lack of accountability for serious human rights violations in Iran persists and contributes to growing grievances,» he said, before highlighting that more than 300 people have been killed, including 40 children, in the crackdown on protests.
In this regard, Laurence detailed that «protesters have been killed in 25 of Iran’s 31 provinces, including more than 100 in Sistan and Baluchestan.» «Official Iranian sources have also reported the death of several members of the security forces since the beginning of the protests», he added.
Laurence has stressed that more than 40 people have been killed in the Kurdistan Region over the past week, an area where «a significant number» of security agents have been deployed to suppress mobilizations in cities such as Javanrud and Saqez.
«Of particular concern is the apparent refusal of the authorities to release the bodies of the dead to their families or to make this release conditional on the relatives not speaking to the media or accepting a false narrative about the cause of death,» he said.
On the other hand, he criticized that «thousands» of people have been arrested in the protests and that at least six have been sentenced to death, while «a growing number of people, including celebrities, athletes and men who have supported the protests, have been summoned to testify or arrested».
«We remind the international authorities that, according to humanitarian law, they have an obligation to respect and guarantee the right of assembly and freedom of expression,» he said, before calling for the release of all those detained for «exercising their rights».
«Our office also calls on the Iranian authorities to immediately impose a moratorium on the death penalty and to revoke death sentences issued for crimes that do not fall within the most serious crimes under international law,» Laurence reiterated.
