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The family of a 26-year-old woman killed during protests in the northern Iranian city of Lahijan were forced to make repeated visits to authorities and pay an unspecified amount of money before her body was released, witnesses told Iran International.
The woman, identified as Sanam Pourbabaei, a violin teacher, was shot in the head on Jan. 8, according to the accounts.
Witnesses said she had been on the street with friends on the first night of the Pahlavi protest call when security forces opened fire. They said shots were fired as people tried to flee and that she was hit.
According to the accounts, her body was not initially handed over to her family, who were required to return several times to seek its release.
The family eventually received her body late at night, after what witnesses described as a payment of money, the amount of which was not known, and were required to bury her under heavy security.
Russia sees no reason to halt trade with Iran and will continue to do so whenever it considers it appropriate, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday, despite warnings from Washington.
Lavrov was responding to comments by US President Donald Trump, who said on Jan. 12 that any country doing business with Iran would face a 25% tariff on trade with the United States.
Russia and Iran have deepened economic and political ties in recent years, including cooperation on energy and defense.
French President Emmanuel Macron’s office said on Tuesday that a message posted by US President Donald Trump on social media and attributed to Macron was authentic.
In a statement issued after Trump shared the message, the Elysee Palace said the text reflected Macron’s public and private positions on major international issues, including Iran.
“The message is entirely real,” the Elysee said.
On Iran, Macron’s office said France calls on Iranian authorities to respect fundamental freedoms and stands alongside “the women and men who defend these freedoms.”
Trump had earlier posted the message on his Truth Social platform, saying it was a private note from Macron, in which the French leader wrote that the two were aligned on Syria and could “do great things on Iran.”
The UN Human Rights Council will hold an emergency session on Iran on Friday to discuss "alarming violence" against protesters, according to a document seen by Reuters.
“A special session is needed because of the importance and urgency of the situation, in particular due to credible reports of alarming violence, crackdowns on protesters and violations of international human rights law across the country,” the document said.
The letter was written by Iceland’s ambassador, Einar Gunnarsson, on behalf of a group of countries including Germany and Britain.
The UN confirmed the special session would take place on Friday, adding that 21 countries have so far backed the proposal.
German MEP Hannah Neumann called for clear demands to show solidarity with protesters in Iran and punish those responsible for the violent crackdown ahead of the European Parliament debate on Iran on Tuesday and a vote on a resolution on Thursday.
Neumann said she was pushing for the parliament to urge the European Union to list the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization, freeze assets of Iranian banks and strictly enforce sanctions.
She also called for emergency visas for individuals at risk and for measures against what she described as transnational repression, including expelling Iranian diplomats.
Neumann said the resolution should condemn the authorities’ response to protests and set out additional steps the EU should take.
