A Comprehensive Report of the First 82 days of Nationwide Protests in Iran

  HRANA – Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old young woman, was arrested by the morality police for the crime of improper hijab. Her arrest and death in detention fueled nationwide protests in Iran. Protesters came to the streets with the central slogan “Women, Life, Freedom” in protest against the performance, laws, and structure of the regime. The following 486-page report is dedicated to the statistical review, analysis, and summary of the first eighty-two days of the ongoing protests (September 17 to December 7, 2022). In this report, in addition to the geographic analysis and the presentation of maps and charts, the identity of 481 deceased, including 68 children and teenagers, an estimated of 18,242 arrested along with the identity of 3,670 arrested citizens, 605 students and 61 journalists or activists in the field of information is compiled. In addition, the report includes a complete collection of 1988 verified video reports by date and topic. The report examines protests across 1115 documented gatherings in all 31 provinces of the country, including 160 cities and 143 universities.

Summary

Mahsa (Zhina) Amini, a young 22-year-old woman from Saqqez, Kurdistan was visiting Tehran, when she was taken into custody on Tuesday, September 13, 2022, by the Morality Police officers at the Haqqani metro station in Tehran. The reason for her arrest: not properly observing the strict Islamic dress code. Mahsa/Zhina was taken to the infamous detention center of Moral Security Police known as Vozara.
Shortly after Mahsa’s arrest, she went into a coma with level three concussion, and her partially alive body was transferred to the intensive care unit of Kasra Hospital. Given the track record of the police and Guidance Patrols in mistreating the arrestees and similar previous incidents, with the believe that Mahsa was beaten during the arrest people were outraged.

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Unpersuasive explanations given by the Central Command of the Islamic Republic Police Force (FARAJA) in defense of its actions regarding the death of Mahsa, the past performance of the police force, along with widespread dissatisfaction with the existence of a body called the Moral Security Police, fueled widespread protests in Iran.
The widespread protests sparked at the time Mahsa Amini was announced dead in front of Kasra Hospital on Argentina Street in Tehran, and then quickly spread to the streets despite the intimidating presence of Iran’s security forces. The protests intensified after Mahsa’s burial in a Saqqez cemetery. To the extent that after eighty-two days of nationwide protests between September 17, 2022, to December 7, 2022, they have spread to Iran’s all 31 provinces, 160 cities, and 143 major universities.
The protests did not stay limited to Mahsa’s death, it rather, quickly targeted the Iranian government’s political and ideological foundations. These protests were violently quashed by the anti-riot police and Iran’s militia force (Basij). teargas, pellets, and live ammunition were used in the repression of protestors. This widespread crackdown has led to the death of dozens of people and the wounding of hundreds of protestors.
Despite sever communication restrictions imposed by the Islamic Republic, this report attempts to give a clearer picture of the first 82 days of the protests between September 17, to December 7, 2022. It’s worth mentioning at the time of this report the protests are still ongoing in various forms.

Table of Contents

 

 

For further inquiries please contact Skylar Thompson, Senior Advocacy Coordinator Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) at [email protected]

Maryam Karim-Beigi Arrested

On September 26, 2022, Tehran security police arrested Maryam Karim-Beigi at her house and took her to an unidentified location. Karim-Beigi’s brother, Mostafa is one of the individuals killed during the 2009 protests.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on September 26, 2022, Maryam Karim-Beigi was arrested at her house in Tehran.

Karim-Beigi’s mother, Shahnaz Akmali, broke the news on social media, saying that Tehran Security Police has arrested her daughter by the order of the Tehran Security Court.

In August, the Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced Karim-Beigi to five years in prison, 74 lashes and a fine. If the verdict is confirmed on appeal, based on Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, three years and seven months for one charge will be enforceable.

Karim-Beigi faced other arrests and convictions on prior occasions.

Maryam Karim-Beigi Sentenced to Five Years in Prison, Flagellation, Paying a Court Fine

The Revolutionary Court of Tehran has sentenced Maryam Karim-Beigi to five years in prison, 74 lashes and a fine. If the verdict is confirmed on appeal, based on Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, three years and seven months for one charge will be enforceable. Karim Beigi’s brother, Mostafa Karim-Beigi,  is one of the individuals that the security forces killed during the 2009 protests.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Maryam Karim-Beigi was sentenced to five years imprisonment, 74 lashes, and a fine payable to the court.

Karim-Beigi’s mother, Shahnaz Akmali broke the news on social media, saying that her daughter has been sentenced to three years and seven months in prison for meeting an Iranian singer. Karim-Beigi has also been sentenced to one year on the charge of propaganda against the regime and one year for having alcoholic beverages in her possession.

On April 10, 2022, Karim-Beigi was expelled from the university she was attending. On June 14, 2022, the security forces arrested Karim-Beigi at her house and transferred her to Ward 209 of Evin Prison. She was released on 700 million tomans bail on July 9.

Maryam Karim-Beigi Arrested at her House

On Tuesday, June 14, 2022, the security forces arrested Maryam Karim-Beigi at her house and transferred her to an unidentified location. Karim Beigi’s brother, Mostafa Karim- Beigi,  is one of the victims of the 2009 protests and her family has frequently been in the news.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on Tuesday, June 14, 2022, Maryam Karim-Beigi was arrested by security forces in Tehran.

In a video post on social media, Shahnaz Akmali, Karim-Beigi’s mother, broke the news that at 7 AM, security forces raided her house and arrested her daughter.

The reason for this arrest, her whereabouts and the charges are unknown so far.

Earlier on February 21, 2022, the security agents had searched Karim-Beigi’s house and confiscated personal belongings including cell phones. Six days later, Maryam Karim-Beigi was summoned to the Ministry of Intelligence for interrogation.

On April 10, 2022, Maryam KarimBeigi was informed about her expulsion from the university.

In previous years, Shahnaz Akmali had also faced arrests and convictions for her civil activities and seeking justice for the killing of her son.