Tensions between Iran and the United States have escalated as diaspora Iranians held rallies across the world to demand action after thousands were killed during last month’s nationwide protests. The rallies took place in cities such as Munich, Los Angeles, and Toronto, with thousands of people in attendance.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian spoke at a conference in Tehran, thanking regional leaders for mediating to prevent a US military attack. He warned that a war would impact the entire Middle East, saying “we do not need a custodian” to resolve Iran’s problems.
Reza Pahlavi, son of Iran’s US-backed shah, called on Iranians living abroad to be part of a “global day of action” aimed at “taking Iran back” from the Islamic Republic. He addressed the Munich Security Conference in Germany and met with leaders such as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and senior US Senator Lindsey Graham.
Protests and Mourning
Families of those killed during the protests continue to release footage online to commemorate their loved ones. In Tehran’s Behesht-e Zahra cemetery, people gathered in solidarity with multiple families holding mourning ceremonies to mark 40 days since the killing of their loved ones.
Among those remembered were Ayda Heydari, 21, a medical student, and Zahra “Raha” Behloulipour, who attended Tehran University. Both were shot and killed with multiple live rounds in separate incidents. Heydari’s mother said her daughter was not a “munafiq”, a term the Islamic Republic uses to describe dissidents.
The Iranian judiciary confirmed that a number of senior reformist politicians arrested last week for criticising the establishment were released on bail. However, tens of thousands of people have been arrested during and after the protests, and human rights organisations said some are in immediate danger of being executed.
International Response
The United Nations and international human rights organisations have documented widespread use of lethal force by state forces against peaceful protesters. Mai Sato, UN special rapporteur on Iran, said three people face execution and that “what is happening now is not new”.
Amnesty International said 18-year-old wrestling champion Saleh Mohammadi has been sentenced to public execution in Qom after being forced to make confessions about being involved in the death of a security agent. The Iranian judiciary has rejected allegations of human rights abuses.
Source: Al Jazeera
