Iran wakes up against tyranny

The extension of the protests in Iran after the death of Masha Amini, the young woman assassinated by the Moral Police of the Islamic Republic for wearing the veil incorrectly, represents a major challenge to the regime of the Ayatollahs, in power since 1979, which has answered violently repressing the demonstrations against him with a balance until Friday of 41 dead recognized by the Government, but that rise to 83 according to an NGO whose reliability has been recognized by the United Nations.

The systemic discrimination of women, the surveillance and persecution of those that any official considers do not comply with the norms dictated by the clerics and the impunity enjoyed by those who exercise their authority with total brutality have been the catalyst for a citizen mobilization that reflects not only the weariness against this mistreatment,

but against the same theocratic system.

To the protesters' cries of "Women, life, freedom" has been added that of "Death to the dictator", in reference to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who since 1989 has held the position of "supreme leader" as Ayatollah Khomeini's successor and whose Decisions are unappealable in a system where the Shia clergy and the paramilitary body of the Revolutionary Guard exercise political and economic power and social control.

Following the manual of any dictatorship, the regime has tried to hide what is happening.

The relatives of the victims are being forced to bury their deceased at night and in private, and the UN has denounced the cut off of cable and wireless communications in order to neutralize social networks, a real transmission belt of discontent between an Iranian population that presents a very young profile and that through their mobile phones can compare their society with other places in the world.

It is not the first time that the Government has faced this situation.

There were hints of popular uprisings in November 2019, July 2021 and last May.

There is widespread social discontent capitalized on by young people who, in the words of Shirin Ebadi —Nobel Peace Prize winner in 2003—, had taken refuge in indifference and have now woken up.

For this reason, the delay and tone of the Western reaction is disappointing.

The governments of Europe —those that have done so, Spain among them— have taken at least 10 days to demand explanations from the Iranian ambassadors of what is happening and issue statements —to a greater or lesser degree of condemnation—, but in practice they hardly it has gone beyond.