Iran 'Hijab Suspicious Death' Protests Spread into Anti-Government Struggle... At Least 41 Dead

22-Year-Old Woman Dies Under Suspicious Circumstances After Arrest
Burns Hijab and Condemns Khamenei
Possible Deployment of Iranian Revolutionary Guards

On the 21st (local time), clashes occurred between protesters and police during a demonstration condemning the suspicious death of Mahsa Amini (22) in Tehran, the capital of Iran.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Anti-government protests sparked by the suspicious death of a woman in her 20s who was arrested for not wearing her hijab properly are rapidly spreading across Iran. It has been reported that the nationwide bloodshed has resulted in at least 41 deaths. Some claim the death toll may be as high as around 50.

According to the New York Times and others on the 25th (local time), anti-government protests took place in over 80 cities across all 31 provinces of Iran. Iran's state-run TV announced that since the protests began on the 17th, at least 41 people, including 9 government soldiers, have died. Human rights organizations report that the death toll may have reached around 50, and Iran's Tasnim News Agency stated that 1,200 people, including 17 journalists, have been arrested.

As the protests spread nationwide, clashes between government forces and protesters have intensified. On social media, videos have been posted showing citizens gathering in the capital Tehran just hours after the protests were dispersed, leading to confrontations with armed police.

Deaths have also occurred within paramilitary groups as the protests continue. CNN reported that a total of five members of the Basij, a military organization under the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), have died.

The protests began after 22-year-old Mahsa Amini suddenly collapsed and died following her arrest by police for not wearing her hijab properly. Initially, citizens took to the streets in acts of resistance against women's human rights violations, such as burning hijabs, but the protests gradually transformed into calls to end the theocratic rule of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Currently, in the northern Iranian city of Rasht, protesters holding placards with messages like "Death to the dictator" are reported to be occupying the streets.

The New York Times stated, "The protests have spread as the anger of Iranians, impoverished by years of U.S.-led economic sanctions and widespread corruption, has grown," adding, "The Iranian government has blocked information networks such as WhatsApp and Instagram, and the capital Tehran has experienced power outages, plunging downtown streets into complete darkness."

CNN noted that the protests show little sign of abating and expressed concern, saying, "The government may mobilize supporters for large rallies and deploy the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to prevent the spread of protests."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.