No One Can Stop Majority Of Dissatisfied Iranians, Says Politician

The EU Monday imposed a new package of sanctions against Iran in response to human rights violations, adding eight individuals and one entity to its list of designations.

"In particular, the Council is sanctioning members of the judiciary responsible for handing down death sentences in unfair trials, and for the torturing of convicts," the EU said in a statement.

Foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani was quoted by the official IRNA news agency as saying that Europe “instead of intervening in the internal affairs of others should avoid violent behavior and crackdown on protesters,” referring to protests in France.

Kanaani has been regularly criticizing France for alleged violations of human rights against its citizens, saying it uses violent methods against protesters.

The United States, European Union and individual European countries have imposed several rounds of sanctions against institutions and individuals carrying out rights violations against antigovernment protesters and arresting people for simply voicing support for the Woman, Life Freedom movement.

Around 500 civilians were killed by Iran’s security forces in the first five months of the protests that began in September after Mahsa Amini, a young woman was killed in the custody of the notorious ‘hijab police.’

Kanaani, calling Western sanctions “illegal and illogical” threatened retaliation, saying Iran reserves the right to “respond” to sanctions.

US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden hosted a ceremony at the White House for the occasion on Monday and issued a statement that acknowledged Iranians' revolt for freedom. 

“This year, Nowruz comes at a difficult time for many families, when hope is needed more than ever—including for the women of Iran who are fighting for their human rights and fundamental freedoms,” the Bidens said, vowing that Washington would “stand with them, and all the citizens of Iran who are inspiring the world with their conviction and courage.”

“And together with our partners, we will continue to hold Iranian officials accountable for their attacks against their people,” the statement added. President Biden said, “It’s the start of a new year that reminds us of the hope that lies ahead – even in the darkest of times.”

Secretary Of State Antony J. Blinken also decried the “brutal crackdown at the hands of the Islamic Republic," noting that “Many families face an empty chair at their Nowruz table this year, as friends and family members have been killed or detained by Iranian authorities.”

Member of the European Parliament Charlie Weimers, who has been very active to garner European leaders’ support for the protests in Iran, issued a video message wishing that “light truly overcomes darkness,” in reference to popular movement against the Islamic Republic. 

Exactly at 54 minutes, 28 seconds past midnight Tehran time on March 21, the ancient Nowruz festivities began, but this year many families are bitter over the loss of a loved one or distressed by the imprisonment of a relative. Immediately after the turn of the year, many Iranians chanted slogans against the regime and its leaders with activists and celebrities releasing Nowruz messages that wished for an end to the Islamic Republic this year. 

Many Iranians put pictures of those killed during the anti-regime protests and colored eggs with “Woman, Life, Freedom” slogan in their “Haft-Seen” tables. According to videos on social media, people held gatherings to keep the flame of protests burning in many cities, including Kurdish-majority city of Sanandaj, Mahabad, Bukan and Piranshahr in West Azarbaijan province, and Saqqez, the hometown of Mahsa “Jina” Amini, whose death in police custody ignited the nationwide rallies. 

Prominent dissident figures, such as exiled prince Reza Pahlavi, Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi, Sunni leader Mowlavi Abdolhamid and footballer-turned-activist Ali Karimi as well as Canada-based activist Hamed Esmaeilion also talked about the political upheaval in the country, reiterating their demands for justice and calls for regime change. 

"I congratulate the proud nation of Iran on the arrival of the new year. I hope that in the new year, poverty, injustice and discrimination will disappear from the country, political prisoners will be released and the noble nation of Iran will regain its rightful place in the world and achieve its rightful demands,” Abdolhamid tweeted. 

In his video message addressed to the people of Iran, Pahlavi said, "In this year, you created an epic in the name of women, in the name of life and in the name of freedom against one of the most oppressive regimes in history... you made the world admire your courage and greatness.”

Several human rights groups, including Amnesty International, echoed the sentiment, issuing messages in honor of those who were killed or arrested during their fights against the violations by the Islamic Republic. 

Javaid Rehman, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran cited cases of murder, imprisonment, enforced disappearances, torture, rape, sexual violence and persecution.

Iran has been swept by protests since the death of a young Iranian Kurdish woman, Mahsa Amini, in custody last September. The authorities used deadly force against protesters, killing around 500 people, injuring thousands and arresting more than 20,000 others.

Addressing the Geneva-based council, , Rehman said he had evidence that Amini died "as a result of beatings by the state morality police".

Iran's state coroner has said Amini died from pre-existing medical conditions, not blows to the head and limbs, but hospital records leaked to the media included x-rays showing severe trauma to the head.

Rehman added that the scale and gravity of crimes committed by authorities as part of a broader crackdown against protests following her death "points to the possible commission of international crimes, notably the crimes against humanity".

He voiced outrage at the execution of at least four people linked to the protests and said that a total of 143 people had been executed in the country since January following "grossly unfair trials".

Iran's Ambassador Ali Bahreini told the Geneva-based council that the allegations were imaginary and Iran was being singled out and targeted in the council.

Reporting by Reuters

In a speech on Sunday in the city of Semnan, Tehran’s Friday Prayer Imam called the popular protests of the past six months a "riot" aimed at ousting the regime. He acknowledged that protesters saw no difference between ‘reformist’ and ‘hardliner’ factions of the Islamic Republic and were bent on overthrowing the regime.

In addition, international assessments show the protests in the past six months have been unprecedented in terms of their size, the largest ever since the establishment of the Islamic Republic in 1979.

Ahmad Khatami, who is a member of the Guardian Council and the Assembly of Experts, also made the extreme claim that by the "Woman, Life, Freedom" slogan the protesters are seeking "nudity" in their fight against the hijab.

In its propaganda, the authorities of the Islamic Republic use words such as "nudity" and "bareness" to belittle the fight against the mandatory hijab as women act to defend their fundamental rights and social freedoms.

Following the death in custody of Mahsa Amini in September, rights groups claim that regime forces have killed over 500 protesters including at least 70 children with brutal suppressive measures across the country.

Iran’s judiciary has also sentenced four protesters to death after sham trials where the young men did not have basic access to lawyers.

Farah Pahlavi expressed sympathy with the families of the dead protesters, prisoners and people under pressure in Iran, saying that the essence of Nowruz heralds the victory of truth over lies.

"Nowruz, which always brings joy and hope, will be celebrated this year in a situation in which our nation is mourning its lost ones," she said.

The exiled queen further noted that hundreds of young men and women died with the slogan ‘Women, Life, Freedom’ in confrontation with brutality and darkness, but “their names and memories will be eternal in the history of Iran”.

She further underlined that “my thoughts are with the bereaved mothers and fathers, thousands of Iranians who are imprisoned, and teenagers who have been poisoned in Iranian schools”.

Elsewhere in her remarks, Pahlavi expressed concern over the situation of millions of Iranians who are struggling to earn a living and are victims of the brutality and incompetence of the regime.

She also congratulated the arrival of the ancient Iranian tradition Nowruz which is a “sign of stability, continuity and national identity.”

Iran has been witnessing nationwide protests within the past six months, during which time, regime agents have killed over 500 people so far and executed several who were arrested during demonstrations. Thousands more have been arrested arbitrarily.