Rouhani: Liberate the unarmed and innocent arrested in protest
The Iranian president has called on the authorities to demonstrate "the degree of Islamic mercy" after the violent riots
Rouhani: Liberate the unarmed and innocent arrested in protest
Photo: Reuters, edited by Nir ChenIranian President Hassan Rouhani called on Wednesday to release all unarmed and innocent protesters arrested during a protest against rising gas prices, two weeks after violent clashes by Amnesty human rights groups have claimed the lives of more than 200 people.
The protest, which began on November 15, erupted after the government abruptly raised gas prices by 300 percent, and it has spread to more than 100 cities and towns. It soon became political when young people and workers demanded the leaders of the religious regime to resign.
"The degree of religious and Islamic mercy must be demonstrated, and those innocent people who protested against fuel price hikes and were unarmed should be released," Rouhani said in a television broadcast.
More in Walla! NEWS More in Walla! NEWSFlee to field and shot dead: More than 180 protesters were killed in demonstrations in Iran
To the full articlefor further reading
Iran first admits killing of "rioters" during wave of demonstrations Iran's effective internet shutdown may send message to tyrannical regimes in Israeli patent for home use to end baldness problems of both sexes Promoted ContentRouhani at a rally in Yazd city last month (Photo: AP)
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani Announces New Oil Field Detection in Speech in Yazd City, November 10, 2019 (Photo: AP)
The regime's leaders have blamed "thugs" associated with the regime's opponents in exile and its enemies - the United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia. Tehran is not a female official, and she dismissed Amnesty's figures as "blatant lies." If this is where the real killings are, these are the deadliest clashes in Iran since the 1979 uprising that put the Shi'ite clerics in place of the Shah.
Last week, an MP said about 7,000 protesters were arrested, but the judiciary has rejected the numbers he presented. The intelligence office said last week that at least eight people linked to the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) were arrested during the riots, which were suppressed by security forces last week.
The recent riots have not only shown a resounding frustration on Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, but also highlighted the difficult economic and political challenges facing the authorities, from the heavy crackdown by the Trump administration to the Iraqi and anti-Iranian protests.
