A Radio Farda listener sent a video on January 5 showing a heavy security force presence in Sabzeh Meydan Square in Zanjan, northwestern Iran, where protests have taken place in recent days. A voice heard in the video says the forces had gathered to create fear among the people.
More Than 1,000 Arrested; Judicial Head Says 'No Tolerance Or Leniency' For Detainees
Iran has arrested more than 1,000 people since protests began, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), though the exact number remains difficult to verify as demonstrations continue across cities and towns nationwide.
Diako Alavi, a Paris-based journalist with expertise on Iran’s Kurdish regions, told RFE/RL's Radio Farda that confirming detainee figures during peak protest periods is “extremely difficult,” and questioned the reliability of official statements and charges brought against those detained.
In Tehran, an unnamed lawyer cited by local observer Bahman Daroshafaei estimated that some 40-50 people are being detained daily, adding that many of those present in the courts were parents of young detainees.
Social media reports indicate that some arrests were carried out during street protests, while others appeared to involve random detentions by security forces.
Several student activists were among those detained. Some, including Ali Taheri Kia, Mobin Safdari and Samiar Motalebi, remain in custody at undisclosed locations, while others, such as Sarira Karimi and Alireza Rasooli, have been released.
There are also reports of minors being detained, including a 15-year-old identified as Iliya Akvanian in the southwestern city of Yasuj who was later released. His uncle is a human rights activist based outside Iran.
Judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei on January 5 accused the United States and Israel of openly supporting the demonstrations. He also instructed the country’s prosecutor-general and provincial prosecutors to show “no tolerance or leniency” toward detainees.
Human rights media outlets covering news from the Kurdish regions of Iran have published videos of the funeral and mourning ceremonies for two brothers who were reportedly shot during protests in the Jafarabad district of the western Kermanshah Province on January 3.
The younger of the two brothers, Rasul, 17, died at the scene, while his older sibling, Reza, 20, died later in the hospital, according to reports.
RFE/RL's Radio Farda’s Hannah Kaviani spoke with with Raz Zimmt, director of the Iran and the Shi'ite axis research program at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), on reports of a potential new conflict between Iran and Israel. Zimmt says he does not believe an escalation is imminent, but warns that the risk of miscalculation remains high. Here are some excerpts from the interview:
...whenever there are protests in Iran, there is this wishful thinking in Israel that this time it might result in a regime change in Iran. So it's very clear that the Israeli objective -- I would say the ultimate objective -- is to see some kind of regime change in Iran, especially today, when we see those protests, even though they are not wider or more significant than compared to the previous rounds of protests in Iran in recent years, but the sense in Israel is that due to the ongoing economic crisis and the shortages of water and electricity and the crisis of legitimacy and the impact of the war, it's becoming more and more difficult for the Iranian regime to deal effectively with those protests.
And then, of course, what happened in Venezuela and the statements made by Trump certainly increases the -- I would say the appetite in Israel -- that something might happen in Iran that could certainly bring about a change in the regime.
...from the Israeli point of view, the simplest conclusion is that here we see again the readiness of President Trump to use force, if necessary, to bring out some kind of change. Of course, nobody speaks about regime change in Venezuela, but even if Trump decides to strike several headquarters of the revolutionary guards or the Basij [volunteer Islamic militia] in Iran in retaliation for the killing of demonstrators in Iran, the sense in Israel is that this could certainly give additional support to the opposition inside Iran.
So, I think the bottom line is that Israel certainly considers what happened in Venezuela -- but also the direct threats against Iran -- as something which could perhaps be implemented in Iran as well, not just in Latin America.
Good morning. We'll get the live blog rolling today with some comments that were made while we were away.
First this from former Iranian crown prince Reza Pahlavi:
And also this from the former US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley:
We are now closing the live blog for today, but we'll be back tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. Central European time with more coverage of events in Iran as they happen. Until then, good night and take care.
UN Chief Calls On Iran To Respect Right To Peaceful Protest
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged Iran to respect demonstrators' right to "protest peacefully," according to the AFP news agency.
Stephane Dujarric, a spokesperson for Guterres, told reporters that the secretary general emphasized "the need to prevent any further casualties."
He also called on Tehran "uphold the right of freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly" and that "all individuals must be allowed to protest peacefully and express their grievances."
Iranian Security Forces Shoot At Protesters
Iranian security forces shot and reportedly killed protesters as demonstrations continue across the country. The Norway-based human rights group Hengaw reported that at least four people were killed and 30 were wounded in the western Iranian city of Malekshahi on January 3. (WARNING: Viewers may find the content of this video disturbing)
What Might US Military Action In Venezuela Mean For Iran?
RFE/RL's Kian Sharifi has been looking at what the ouster of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela might mean for Iran:
Washington is unlikely to carry out a similar operation in Iran. But the brazen Venezuela attack has sent a clear signal to Tehran that the United States is willing to use force to remove its enemies, experts say.
Trump recently warned Iran that Washington was “locked and loaded” and ready to intervene if Tehran killed “peaceful protesters” during ongoing antiestablishment protests. Iranian security forces have so far killed at least 19 protesters in a brutal state crackdown.
However, experts say the United States replicating its Venezuela operation in Iran and deposing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei -- who has been in power since 1989 -- is unlikely.
Read more here
'People Are No Longer Afraid To Die,' Says Activist
Motahareh Gounei, is a student activist and a human rights defender based in Iran who has been arrested several times in the past. She spoke to Radio Farda’s Roya Karimi Majd about the protests.
“I witnessed a scene in Qom where a crowd was moving toward the security forces without fear --unafraid that they might be shot. People are truly fed up. We have had enough. Even if they execute us, we are exhausted by the life the Islamic republic has imposed on us, by this suffocating atmosphere. Our most basic demands are inseparable from the survival of the Islamic republic itself: when will it end? When will [Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali] Khamenei’s political life end?
People see that an individual they didn't elect is deciding their fate based on his dictatorial nature --because he is a dictator, because he is obsessed with power and incapable of relinquishing it. All barriers between the people and the establishment have collapsed. People are no longer afraid to die.
Today, we want the world to know that we do not want the Islamic republic. We do not want this establishment.”