Status: 11/29/2022 1:04 p.m
For the first time in Iran, the Revolutionary Guards have confirmed hundreds of deaths in the ongoing protests in the country. However, human rights activists speak of higher death rates. The imprisoned ex-national player Ghafouri has meanwhile been released.
For the first time, an Iranian general has spoken of many fatalities in connection with the ongoing system-critical protests in the country. General Amir-Ali Hajjizadeh, commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Division, spoke in a speech of at least 300 dead, according to a video posted by Tabnak online portal.
“I don’t know the current statistics, but I think that since this incident (…) more than 300 martyrs and people have been killed in this country, including children,” said Hajizadeh. The martyrs mentioned mean killed security forces and police officers.
The Revolutionary Guards are the elite unit of the armed forces in Iran and are more important than the traditional military. Hajizadeh once again blamed Iran’s enemies for the protests. In addition to the USA, he also named Germany and France. In the past few weeks, the military and politicians have already shifted the blame to other countries. Observers see this as an attempt to distract from the real causes of the protests.
Activists: More than 400 dead in protests
The information provided by activists differs significantly from the statements made by Hajizadeh. According to the human rights organization Iran Human Rights (IHR), at least 416 people have been killed in the suppression of the protests, 126 of them in the province of Sistan-Baluchistan and 48 in Kurdistan.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) recently estimated at least 450 protesters were killed, including 64 children. In addition, 60 security forces are said to have died.
UN Human Rights Commissioner Volker Türk speaks of more than 300 fatalities and 14,000 arrests since the beginning of the protests, human rights activists assume around 18,000 arrests.
Former international Ghafouri released on bail
Meanwhile, former Iranian soccer international Voria Ghafouri has been released on bail. After posting bail, he left Ewin prison in Tehran, the Iranian judicial authorities wrote on their web portal Mizan.
Ghafouri was arrested on allegations of propaganda against the political system and insulting the national team. During the most recent protests, Ghafouri clearly supported the demonstrators and repeatedly condemned the brutal operations of the police and security forces. The Iranian Kurd has been a critic of the Islamic system for years, especially in the context of discrimination against women.
For the national team, which is currently at the World Cup in Qatar, Ghafouri was no longer called up because of his political views, although he is still one of the best full-backs in the country.
Call in Berlin for solidarity with protests
At an event in the Berliner Ensemble on the occasion of the protests in Iran, various artists condemned the Iranian government’s repressive course. Actress Iris Berben called for solidarity with the protesting people in Iran. “You can’t demand or decree an attitude or solidarity, you have to live it. Solidarity shouldn’t stop where it disturbs our comfort,” said Berben.
According to the theater, the idea for the evening entitled “Woman Life Freedom” came from the German-Iranian actresses Melika Foroutan, Sarah Sandeh and Jasmin Tabatabai. “These protests are bringing the country and the people back to us. We are full of admiration for the courage and strength of the protesters in Iran,” said Sandeh. “May their courage, their resistance, their solidarity be an example for all of us.”
During the approximately three-hour event, actresses such as Meret Becker and Katja Riemann also condemned the Iranian government and read texts from Iran and about the country. There was music and a stage talk. The proceeds of the evening should benefit two charities.