A paramilitary was killed on Saturday during protests in central Iran, a country affected by a protest movement sparked after the death in custody of a young woman, official media announced on Sunday.
“
A member of Bassidj
(militias affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, the ideological army of the Islamic Republic, editor’s note)
was shot dead in the town of Semirom by armed criminals,
” the Irna agency reported.
Iran is rocked by protests sparked by the September 16 death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd, who died after she was arrested by vice squad for violating the Islamic Republic's strict dress code.
The authorities, who denounce "
riots
" orchestrated by foreign countries and opposition groups, arrested thousands of people, and two 23-year-old men were hanged.
Read alsoAt the summit on Iraq, Macron attacks Iran
According to Irna, the demonstrations took place on Saturday evening in front of the governorate of Semirom in the province of Isfahan (center) and in other places of the city.
“
Law enforcement was deployed in order to establish security in the city and in some cases there were clashes with a number of rioters
,” the agency added.
Hundreds of people, mainly protesters but also members of the security forces, have been killed since the start of the protest, according to the authorities.
Justice has announced that it has sentenced 11 people to death for their role in the protests.
Activists assure that this figure is underestimated.