Conflicts & War

At least one soldier dead as Iranians mourn young protester

Tehran, Nov 3 (EFE).- At least one soldier died and several members of the security forces were injured on Thursday during heavy clashes with people mourning a young woman who died while protesting the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini.

Clashes broke out when hundreds of people tried to reach the graveyard where Hadis Najafi, 22, is buried to mark the 40th day since her death in the city of Karaj near Tehran but roads were blocked by security forces.

Najafi died on September 21 in protests that have been gripping Iran since the death of Amini in police custody following her arrest by the morality police for allegedly wearing her hijab incorrectly.

The official who died Thursday was a member of the Iranian pro-government paramilitary organization, according to the semi-official Fars news agency, which has ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard.

Local media, meanwhile, said that thugs took advantage of the mourning ceremony to attack security forces with knives and stones.

Unverified social media videos show protesters gathering around a burning car on a blocked road and unveiled women shouting “woman, life, freedom”, with activists denouncing police shooting at protesters.

These incidents are similar to those that occurred during rallies held in the city of Saqqez, in Kurdistan province to commemorate 40 days since Amini’s death.

At least 10,000 people took part in the October 26 commemoration, in which the police used teargas and even opened fire at people, according to international NGOs.

The nationwide rallies are mainly led by young people and women shouting “woman, life, freedom” and have included rarely seen gestures of defiance such as burning veils, one of the symbols of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The demonstrations that spread to universities and even high schools are being met with a brutal crackdown by security forces.

According to the Oslo-based NGO Iran Human Rights, over 108 people have been killed and 12,500 arrested in the unrest so far.EFE

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