Rights group says Iran protest death toll tops 75 as crackdown intensifies

Paris, France (AFP):

More than 75 people have died in Iran’s crackdown on 11 nights of unrest sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, a rights group said, as Western nations pile pressure on the Islamic republic to end the violence.

The semi-official Fars news agency reported Tuesday that “around 60” people have been killed, up from the official death toll of 41 authorities reported on Saturday.

Demonstrators took to the streets again on Monday night, as they have every night since Amini’s death on September 16 following her arrest for allegedly breaching the country’s strict rules on hijab headscarves and modest clothing, witnesses told AFP.

Tehran crowds have shouted “death to the dictator”, calling for the end of the more than three-decade rule of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 83.

Officials said Monday they had made more than 1,200 arrests. Those taken into custody have included activists, lawyers and journalists as well as protesters.

Tensions with Western powers grew as France on Monday issued its “strongest condemnation” over the “violent repression” by security forces, Germany summoned the Iranian ambassador and Canada announced sanctions.

A day earlier, the European Union had deplored the crackdown and Tehran said it had called in the British and Norwegian envoys.

Western condemnation of the bloody crackdown has clouded diplomatic efforts to revive a nuclear deal between Iran and major powers that was abandoned by then US president Donald Trump in 2018.

The EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who has led those efforts, on Sunday slammed Iran for its “widespread and disproportionate use of force against non-violent protesters”.