The Iranian president asks to act “decisively” in the face of anti-regime protests

At least 35 people have died during the eight days of protests in Iran following the death, on September 16 and in police custody, of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who was wearing the wrong veil.

The death figures have been confirmed on Friday by government media.

Faced with the incessant protests, the Iranian president, the ultra-conservative Ebrahim Raisi, encouraged this Saturday to act "decisively against those who oppose the security and tranquility of the country."

For its part, the Army has shown its willingness to do whatever is necessary to "defend national security."

In fact, and according to a video published by the American newspaper

, the Iranian police have already used live fire against the demonstrators.

In addition, the regime's authorities have arrested more than 700 people since the beginning of this citizen movement.

Specifically, 739, 60 women.

The figures have been communicated by General Azizollah Maleki, police chief of the province of Guilán, in the north of the Persian country, according to Reuters.

Although the official media already recognize 35 deaths in the demonstrations – a figure that several organizations for the defense of human rights already gave last week;

the NGO Iran Human Rights, based in Oslo, now raises the figure to 50. Among the dead, the official media speak of a member of the

, Iranian paramilitary forces, founded by Ayatollah Khomeini, leader of the Islamic revolution that in 1979 plunged the country into the dictatorship of the ayatollahs.

"Those who are repressing the population are not the police, but the

," says Marion, 24, from Tehran, who has been attending the protests since day one.

“[The

] They are the ones who repress with violence, hit and kill.

They are dressed as civilians and surprise the protesters.

They have no humanity, they are mercenaries and we suspect that some of them are not Iranian”, continues this woman.

The protests erupted a week ago following the death of Mahsa Amini.

The woman, originally from Saqez, in Iranian Kurdistan, was detained in Tehran by the morality police who considered that she was dressed "inappropriately".

She was taken to the police station to receive "a re-education session".

After spending three days in custody, Ella Amini was taken to a hospital in a coma, where she died on September 16.

A day later, the protests started.

Since then, marches against the Islamic regime have been called in more than a hundred cities in the 31 regions of the Persian country.

In many cases, led by women, with a large presence of young people.

Thus, thousands of citizens have removed their veils and cut their hair in public, defying Islamic laws.

Police stations and police vehicles have also been burned;

Anti-government slogans have been chanted, as well as proclamations against Supreme Leader Khamenei.

"These protests have become widespread and have involved all sectors of society," Yasaman Khleghian, a 33-year-old Iranian journalist and activist exiled in Canada, told EL PAÍS.

As the protests have gathered pace, the government has been increasing repression and censorship, including internet access.

“The connection is very bad and I have not been able to connect all day,” an Iranian activist wrote on WhatsApp from Shiraz late on Saturday.

It was the only message he could send.

The digital blackout hinders the organization of activists and protesters, their access to social networks, as well as their communication with the outside world.

The US Treasury Department announced on Friday that it was going to try to expand the range of digital services in the Persian country, bypassing active sanctions against Tehran: "We are going to help the Iranians to counteract the government's efforts to censor and monitor them." , affirmed one of its managers.

Nonetheless,

on Saturday the connection was very fragile and the communication complex.

On the other hand, this Saturday, when the Iranian academic year began, the educational authorities have suspended face-to-face classes at universities and have ordered that students connect

.

For now, the measure will last at least a week.

The regime hopes to control this citizen movement.

Meanwhile, the protesters do not show, for the moment, their intention to stop the movement.

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