The NGO Amnesty International (AI) has called on the United Nations to act «urgently» after eight protesters were killed in less than 24 hours as part of the country’s violent protests following the death of young Mahsa Amini in police custody.
«(We are) acting in response to the unlawful killings of at least eight people by Iran’s security forces last night when they again opened fire on mourners and protesters in at least four provinces and based on growing international calls for a UN mechanism,» said AI’s director for the Middle East and North Africa, Heba Morayef.
She explained that this «reckless and illegal use of firearms» reveals, «once again,» the «tragically high cost of international inaction,» and urged «decisive action» and the convening of a special session of the UN Human Rights Council.
«If decisive action is not taken, Iranian authorities will be encouraged to crack down further on mourners and protesters who will gather in the coming days during commemorations marking 40 days since the first deaths after the deadly crackdown began in mid-September,» he sentenced in a statement.
Thus, he explained that the UN Human Rights Council must make it clear to Iran that «its crimes will not go uninvestigated», despite the fact that, after these «illegitimate killings», the enactment of the Iranian special mechanism to provide justice to the victims of the repression has «continuously» failed.
«The continued failure to enact such a mechanism, despite widespread illegitimate killings of protesters since the nationwide protests from December 2017 to January 2018, is indicative of how these brutal tragedies in Iran have seemingly become normalized,» he has zanelled.
Both on Wednesday and throughout Thursday, Iranian security forces cracked down on protesters who took to the streets in the provinces of Kurdistan, West Azerbaijan, Kermanshah and Lorestan.
Hundreds of people gathered on Wednesday at the tomb of Masha Amini at the Aichi Cemetery in the Iranian city of Saqqez to protest against the government, while activist groups called for demonstrations in several parts of the country, including Shariati Street in Tehran, the capital, and its main squares.
The population of Mahabad, which is located in the west of the country and is Kurdish-majority, also gathered demonstrators and even stormed the Mahabad governor’s office to protest the death of Ismail Moloudi, a young man who was killed by Revolutionary Guard officers during the last day of demonstrations.
