Despite all the atrocities committed by the Iranian regime against its own citizens since they began their protests in September — following the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of Iran’s so-called morality police — the free women of Iran, supported by their husbands, families, neighbors and fellow citizens of all backgrounds, have shown extreme bravery and courage.
As the days pass and the number of victims continues to rise, no international effort has succeeded in stopping the Iranian government’s acts of violence against the Iranian people. According to Oslo-based nongovernmental organization Iran Human Rights, the security forces have killed at least 448 protesters, most of them in Sistan and Balochistan province on Iran’s southeastern border with Pakistan.
The group’s director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam stressed to AFP that the ongoing protests are “the beginning of a revolution of dignity.” He added: “Women and minorities, who have for more than four decades been treated as second-class citizens, are empowered through these protests to come out to the streets and demand their fundamental human rights.”
However, the country’s judicial authorities have proudly announced that thousands of Iranians and about 40 foreigners have been arrested and more than 2,000 people have been charged over the unrest. It is well known that detainees in Iranian prisons often disappear or are killed without an accurate official explanation.
On Saturday, President Ebrahim Raisi praised his country for protecting the people’s rights and freedoms, defending the ruling regime amid its crackdown on anti-government protesters. “The constitution guarantees the existence of the Islamic system,” he said, adding that it also “guarantees fundamental rights and legitimate freedoms.”
This is the usual method and vocabulary used by dictators when they are trying to brainwash their people and cover up the crimes perpetrated against everyone who demands human rights and justice in a state that resembles a large prison.
It is not surprising that the oppressor points to foreign entities, accusing them of interfering in his country’s internal affairs, instead of taking responsibility for his bloody crimes. The whole world has become aware of how the regime treats the free people of Iran.
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