Zahedan Continues Protests Ahead Of Mahsa Anniversary

Mohammad-Reza Pourebrahimi, the chairman of the Iranian parliament's economic committee was quoted by local media as saying that part of Iran's freed assets needs to be directly deposited to the Central Bank of Iran, as the previous government of President Hassan Rouhani has spent the amount to cover government's expenditure.

The United States allowed South Korea in August to release the funds blocked due to US sanctions in exchange for five US citizens held hostage by Iran. However, the Biden administration has been insisting that the funds can only be used by Iran to import food, medicine, and other humanitarian needs.

"The Treasury Department has strict oversight over the use of those funds. We have visibility into how they are used, and we have the ability to police their use," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters on September 12.

However, earlier this week, Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi told NBC News that the money will be spent o whatever the Iranian people need. "This money will be budgeted for those needs and the needs of the Iranian people will be decided and determined by the Iranian government,” Raisi insisted.

There has been strong criticism of the Biden administration’s move in Congress. Many Republicans have accused the White House of caving into Iran and by offering a large ransom endangering the lives of other Americans.

Security has gone beyond precautionary measures just one day before the first death anniversary of Iranian-Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini and the creation of the Women, Life, Freedom protests. Heavily armed military forces have been stationed in restive areas, particularly in Kurdish majority cities, and anti-riot police forces are mushrooming on streets of major cities. 

Social media is exploding with hashtags related to the uprising and walls of cities are replete with graffiti against the Islamic Republic and leaflets of calls for demonstrations are being widely distributed while the regime is exhausting measures to prevent huge gatherings.

Armed forces have an extensive presence in Kurdish-majority cities like the hometown of Mahsa Amini Saqqez as well as Marivan, Bukan, and Sanandaj, where anti-riot vehicles are stationed at main squares and Revolutionary Guard helicopters are hovering over these cities.

A heavy presence of security forces is also reported in the country’s metropolitans such as Tehran and Tabriz, where large demonstrations are expected to take place. In the capital Tehran, forces have blocked roads to the graves of the protesters who have been killed during the last year's protests to prevent commemorative events from morphing into anti-regime protests.

About 30 civil rights activists have been arrested only this week while several detained activists have announced hunger strikes in support of the expected protests. 

During the past few days, state media has reported the dismantling of several groups accusing them of planning to carry out “acts of sabotage and terrorist operations” across the country. The IRGC said Thursday that 25 members of one of these “sabotage groups” were arrested in the northern Gilan province, while on Wednesday, the IRGC’s Intelligence Organization announced it had identified and dealt “a blow to some members of a riot organization network" across the country. In its statement, the IRGC claimed the network's members were being funded by the US State Department and led by the Freedom House, a Washington-based advocacy group, and the Nonviolent Initiative for Democracy, a Massachusetts-based NGO. 

The IRGC commander in the western province of Ilam said a “sabotage group” was disbanded in the city of Abdanan, and the IRGC in the Alborz province said they rounded up protest leaders in Savojbolagh. In East Azarbaijan province, admins of a Telegram channel were arrested for encouraging protests.

Since the protests began on September 16 last year, about 600 protesters have been killed and tens of thousands arrested. According to the Oslo-based non-profit Iran Human Rights, Tehran executed approximately 697 people between September 2022 and September 2023, including seven for activities related to the protests. Iranian courts have sentenced another 10 protestors to death, and 82 are facing charges that include the death penalty. “The surge of executions in Iran shows that the regime is desperate, lashing out because its efforts to crush the nationwide uprising over the past year have clearly failed,” said Tzvi Kahn from the US-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies. 

During the past several weeks, the regime has arrested, summoned or harassed the families of victims as well as the protesters who were temporarily detained, threatening them against participating in rallies or events this week. In addition to firing dozens of academics, warnings have been given to professors, students, and workers of several organizations to discourage any acts that can be seen as a sign of solidarity with the protests. 

Human Rights Watch said on Friday that Iranian authorities have ramped up their repression on civil society for the one-year anniversary of the death in custody of Mahsa Jina Amini, calling on all delegations of UN member states meeting Iranian counterparts during the annual UN General Assembly this week in New York to raise the plight of activists and put it at the center of their engagement.

“Iranian authorities are trying to impose a chokehold on dissent to prevent public commemoration of Mahsa Jina Amini’s death in custody, which has become the symbol of the government’s systematic oppression of women, injustice and impunity,” said Tara Sepehri Far, senior Iran researcher at the rights group. “But Iranian authorities can't erase the mounting frustration, louder calls for fundamental change, and the resistance and solidarity in Iranian society in the face of mounting repression.”

On Thursday, the UN’s Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran said the state harassment of women and girls is on the rise, as authorities are exacerbating punitive measures against those exercising their fundamental rights, including freedom of religion, freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. 

“Since Jina Mahsa’s death in custody, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has failed to ensure truth, justice and reparations to her family, or to families of other victims, women, girls and all protesters who have been subjected to violations of fundamental human rights,” Sara Hossain, Chair of the Fact-Finding Mission, said. “Instead, the Islamic Republic is doubling down on repression and reprisals against its citizens and seeking to introduce new and more draconian laws that severely restrict further the rights of women and girls.”

The young Iranian-Kurd was recently shot by regime forces while protesting in Karaj, with photos of the large attendance for his funeral appearing online as a mark of defiance to the authorities, which has been clamping down on all mass gatherings in the lead-up to Saturday's anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini.

Mourners traveled from regions such as Eslamshahr-e Gharb in western Kermanshah province to the village of Tajar-e-Akbar to participate in the burial rites for Baqeri, according to Hengaw Human Rights Organization.

Citing sources close to Baqeri's family, Hengaw claims that the young man had expressed protest slogans against the dictatorship of the Islamic Republic even before the tragic incident in which he is believed to have died from four bullet wounds from security forces.

After the incident, Hamid Hadavand, commander of the Alborz Law Enforcement, referred to the young man as a "hooligan with a machete" during an interview with the Islamic Republic government's news agency, IRNA. He claims Baqeri allegedly "savagely attacked both civilians and law enforcement agents in Karaj" and was subsequently detained at the scene after officers resorted to gunfire.

Hengaw denies the claims and has accused Iran's state media of engaging in an "organized" dissemination of news containing "misleading and false information."

The group has managed to secure the initiative, Project Constellation, through the issuance of General License D-2, which authorizes an exemption to US sanctions for "discrete internet services".

The Starlink satellite project website says "the US government has taken action to support the free flow of information to and from the Iranian people". 

It explained: "This license is crucial as it helps keep Iranians online amid pervasive efforts of the Islamic Republic to censor and shut down the internet early and often when there is even a hint of protests being planned."

Mass shutdowns have left millions cut off from the internet across Iran as the government continues its blanket censorship in a bid to prevent more protests, leaving many without access to work and vital services.

Starlink receivers began to be smuggled into Iran last September, in case of the regime enforcing a total blackout. Starlink, operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, is a global network of low-orbit satellites that bypasses the terrestrial internet, and helped restore connectivity in Ukraine after the Russian invasion.

Project Constellation will also offer a fundraising platform, where supporters of the Iranian people can donate funds to send Starlink satellite internet terminals to keep Iranians online. "Based upon the best efforts of our confidential partners, UANI expects to achieve a high rate of Starlink systems successfully smuggled into Iran," the website said.

Ali Motahari raised questions about whether the country's sports authorities were adequately prepared for the tournament which will bring iconic players including Cristiano Ronaldo. While the prospect of football superstars gracing Iranian soil has generated excitement, concerns have surfaced regarding the condition of the stadium's pitch and its facilities.

Motahari stressed the need to ensure that Azadi Stadium and the VAR system are fully operational to prevent last-minute complications that could potentially tarnish the country's reputation on the international stage.

A few days ago, the official Persian X account of the Saudi Arabian government announced that the Al-Nassr team would be hosted at Azadi Stadium. However, the choice of accompanying photos in the message triggered a significant debate as it spotlighted the deteriorated state of the stadium's stands, indirectly critiquing its overall condition.

The 78,000 capacity Azadi Stadium, home to the Iranian national football team, has grappled with maintenance challenges for over a decade. Originally inaugurated as Aryamehr Stadium by Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi on October 17, 1971, it was constructed to host the 1974 Asian Games and later served as the venue for the 1976 AFC Asian Cup. Since its inauguration in 1971, Iran has not seen the construction of a comparable stadium.