The leader of the Lebanese Shia armed movement Hezbollah on Saturday described as a “vague incident” the death of Mahsa Amini, whose death sparked daily demonstrations across Iran after his arrest by vice squads in Tehran.
This protest movement, the largest since 2019, began on September 16, the day the 22-year-old young Kurdish woman died three days after her arrest for violating Iran’s strict dress code, which obliges women in particular to wear Islamic clothing Veil.
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In a televised address broadcast on Saturday, Hassan Nasrallah called Mahsa Amini’s death a “vague incident” with details still unclear. “Iran is under attack and every incident is exploited (…) and serves as incitement” against the regime, said the leader of Hezbollah, a close ally of Iran that wields paramount influence in Lebanon. “Iran is stronger than ever and will not be affected by this protest movement,” added Hassan Nasrallah.
Since September 16, the crackdown on protests has left nearly 60 people dead, authorities said, while Oslo-based NGO Iran Human Rights reported at least 83 deaths. Iranian authorities, who deny any police involvement in Mahsa Amini’s death, have arrested hundreds of protesters, who are being described as “rioters”.
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Demonstrations were organized on Saturday at several universities in Iran, including in Tehran, in the holy city of Mashhad (northeast), the country’s second largest city, and in Karaj, west of the capital.
This movement is the largest since the November 2019 demonstrations sparked by the severely suppressed rise in fuel prices.