Iranian Regime Maintains Tight Security Amid Ongoing Tensions

Saadat Abad, located in western Tehran, was one of the neighborhoods where residents rekindled the memories of last year's protests by chanting slogans such as "Death to Khamenei" and "Death to the dictator."

The echoes of anti-regime slogans resonated in other western districts of Tehran as well, encompassing areas like Shahr-e Ziba, Arya Shahr, Baqeri, Chitgar, and Ekbatan.

During the protests last year, neighborhoods such as Chitgar, Baqeri, and Ekbatan were gripped by nightly slogans as residents regularly confronted security forces for several months.

On Sunday, the security forces of the Islamic Republic, synchronized with the anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death on September 16, deployed numerous special forces units, plainclothes officers, and motorcyclists within these neighborhoods, with a pronounced presence in the Ekbatan.

In some districts of Karaj, 30 kilometers west of the capital, once again protesters voiced their discontent through nighttime slogans Sunday night. The demonstrators chanted slogans against the Islamic Republic from the windows of their homes and apartments.

Slogans such as "Death to the Child-killing Regime" and "Death to the dictator" featured prominently.

Moreover, reports and images disseminated across social media platforms suggest that, in commemoration of Mahsa Amini's death anniversary, protesters in select areas of Tehran and several other cities wrote anti-government slogans in the streets.

State media in Iran only published scattered reports about the arrests in different cities and did not disclose any details about their identities or the circumstances surrounding their apprehension. 

Regime authorities only label the detainees as "vandals" and "counter revolutionaries," accusing them of "disrupting public order" or “planning sabotage.”

Human rights groups have identified a small number of the arrestees. Several family members of the protesters who were killed during last year’s rallies are among those detained. Fahimeh Moradi -- the bereaving mother of 19-year-old Yalda Aghafazli -- and Jaber Najafi -- the father of Hadis Najafi, who was shot dead by live bullets, were among those who were arrested Saturday.  

Iranian actress Hanieh Tavassoli was also arrested Saturday and released on bail the following day. Theater director Ali Nourani and poet Nima Safar were also arrested on Saturday. Nourani was detained after regime agents raided his home but there is no information on how Safar was arrested. 

Internet shutdowns have also made verifying the extent of oppression difficult as the regime disrupted down the country's internet system over the anniversary period.

People in numerous Iranian cities took to streets on Saturday to mark the day Mahsa Amini died at the hands of the morality police, the incident that sparked Iran’s largest anti-regime protests known as the Women, Life, Freedom movement. 

Despite internet disruptions, videos surfaced online showing demonstrations throughout multiple cities, including the capital Tehran, Karaj, Mashad, Ahvaz, Lahijan, Arak, and several Kurdish majority cities such as Sanandaj, Divandareh, Baneh, and Marivan as well as Mahsa’s hometown Saqqez. The turnout was not as large as last year’s protests amid a massive security presence. 

Iranian security forces especially cracked down on protests in Kurdish areas of the country - Amini of Kurdish-Iranian heritage - and briefly detained the father of Mahsa Amini. The Revolutionary Guards also claimed they have detained a dual national suspected of "trying to organize unrest and sabotage."

Judiciary and security officials have refrained from announcing the exact number of detainees, but the Saturday arrests were reported in dozens of cities including Gorgan, Fasa, Bojnourd, Zahedan, Zanjan, and Qeshm. 

Rahim Jahanbakhs, the police commander of West Azarbaijan Province, said that 137 people had been detained, charged with "disturbing public opinion in virtual space." Most of the arrested individuals published various content “to mislead public opinion and inciting unrest.” 

Javad Hashemi, the Deputy for Political, Security, and Social Affairs of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province Governor office, said “at least 15 protesters" were detained in Dehdasht city.

In Kordestan Province, Amanollah Gashtasbi, the IRGC commander of the province, reported the detention of "14 individuals" in the nighttime rallies in the cities of Sanandaj, Divandareh, Baneh, and Marivan. In Esfahan (Isfahan), police announced the detention of "10 citizens" for "intending to create turmoil."

The report by the reformist newspaper Ham-Mihan states that out of every five prescriptions issued, one is for antidepressants or sleep-inducing medications.

The report also links the mental health of Iranians to social issues, including protests.

Following the recent uprisings, numerous experts, including university professors, mental health specialists, and sociologists, expressed concerns about the state of Iran's society. Four mental health associations also voiced their concerns about the mental well-being of citizens in a statement.

The newspaper emphasizes that since last year, many individuals have been contemplating migration as a way out of their current situation.

Earlier this year, Saeed Moeedfar, the president of the Sociological Association, warned that Iran is on the brink of a "severe wave of migration" and described a "terrifying despair" gripping society, particularly its youth and intellectuals.

These predictions of an impending massive migration wave come at a time when estimates suggest that roughly one-tenth of the country's population, equivalent to 8.5 million Iranians, currently live abroad as migrants.

Ham-Mihan, citing mental health experts, notes that anxiety and depression, as two of the most prominent psychological disorders, have manifested in various forms in the past year, including an increased desire to migrate, alcohol consumption, substance abuse, and suicide.

During a television program on state television, Esmail Khatib said the Iranian government would take action against the network throughout the globe, emphasizing that the Islamic Republic would not refrain from invasive measures against the workers of the channel. 

He stated, "Support from various countries will not deter us from taking invasive security measures," claiming that several foreign-based channels have promoted “terrorism,” and Iran International is one of the most important ones. 

“We believe that Iran International is a terrorist network, and naturally we deem it our duty and mission to act against them wherever and whenever we deem appropriate,” he said, warning that “no terrorist media will be safe.” 

Following a significant escalation in state-backed threats from Iran and advice from the London Metropolitan Police, Iran International TV announced in February that it reluctantly and temporarily closed its London studios and moved broadcasting to Washington DC. 

Iran International was warned by authorities in November that its journalists were under threat from Iranian agents and the police took measures to strengthen security around the network’s offices.

The channel's broadcasts have gained special significance since popular anti-regime protests broke out in Iran last September. Iranian officials have repeatedly threatened Iran International and other Persian broadcasters based abroad as the government blocked the Internet to deny the population news and information.

Mahmood Enayat, General Manager of Iran International TV, said in February, "A foreign state has caused such a significant threat to the British public on British soil that we have to move. Let’s be clear this is not just a threat to our TV station but the British Public at large. Even more this is an assault on the values of sovereignty, security and free speech that the UK has always held dear... We refuse to be silenced by these cowardly threats. We will continue to broadcast. We are undeterred.”

The Iranian regime has blamed foreign-based Persian broadcasters such as BBC Persian and Iran International for “fomenting unrest”, while all media in the country are under tight government control and present protesters as “rioters” and “terrorists”.

The US Department of State, Belgium-based International Federation of Journalists, and Australia’s Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance are among entities that expressed support for Iran International and stressed the importance of safeguarding journalists' security and press freedom following the relocation of Iran International’s London office.

Regime authorities, including several Revolutionary Guard commanders, have repeatedly issued threats against Iran International and other foreign-based media outlets. 

Following the relocation, IRGC Commander-In-Chief Major General Hossein Salami said the threats against the channel’s journalists "show how far the Islamic Revolution's realm of power, field of infiltration and radius of influence has extended."

Amid repeated threats by the Islamic Republic against Iran International’s reporters, the UK government vowed in December to step up protection of London-based Iranian journalists.

British officials also expressed strong support for Iran International. Tom Tugendhat, the UK's Minister of State for Security, has repeatedly condemned Iran's threats against the network. He affirmed that the UK would continue its support for the network, ensuring its activities in a secure environment.

Vowing to step up protection of London-based Iranian journalists, British Foreign Minister James Cleverly said during a session in Parliament in December that the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO), in partnership with the Home Office, had ensured that the Iranian journalists were protected by the British police.

“The UK remains absolutely determined to ensure that Iran does not intimidate people within this country. We will always stand up to the aggression from foreign nations,” he noted, adding, “We will absolutely not tolerate threats, particularly towards journalists who are highlighting what is going on in Iran, or indeed any other individual living in the UK.”

A man was arrested in the vicinity of Iran International’s headquarters in February and charged with a terrorism offence. 

In May, Britain’s shadow security minister slammed the threats against journalists covering Iran’s protests. Speaking on World Press Freedom Day, Holly Lynch, the Labour MP for Halifax, said the threats by the Iranian regime include “assassination and kidnap plots against UK residents who are perceived as enemies of Iran owing to their coverage of the protests and the regime’s brutal crackdown”.

The head of Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP), Assistant Commissioner Matt Jukes in London said in February that “At its sharpest, this has involved police and MI5 working together to foil 15 plots since the start of 2022 to either kidnap or even kill British or UK-based individuals perceived as enemies of the regime,” he said. 

Despite ongoing threats, Iran International will soon inaugurate a new building in London.

Prominent Iranian political activist Hossein Ronaghi penned a message, highlighting the unwavering determination and boundless courage of Iranians to bring about change in their country and “dispel the prevailing darkness”.

In his statement, Ronaghi acknowledged the relentless attempts by authorities to "disperse, isolate, and stifle the voices of activists through threats, repression, discord, and various tactics." Nevertheless, he asserted that such efforts have thus far failed and expressed confidence that they will not succeed "in silencing the collective will of the Iranian people."

Ronaghi, 37, has maintained his position as one of the most fearless critics of the Islamic Republic, refusing to leave the country despite facing multiple arrests and periods of detention over the past 13 years. His commitment to advocating for change led to his detainment in 2009 for his involvement in post-election protests, and he was once again arrested in February 2022 for criticizing a bill aimed at restricting internet access in Iran.

Meanwhile, Shirin Ebadi, a prominent Iranian jurist and recipient of the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize for her human rights efforts, particularly in advocating for women, children, and refugees, addressed a gathering of Iranians in Washington during the commemoration of Mahsa Amini's anniversary.

Ebadi underscored the paramount importance of unity, affirming that Iranians would not allow external forces to exploit their internal differences.

She went on to invoke the sacrifices made by the Iranian people throughout history, including significant events such as the Green Movement, Bloody November, and others, urging Iranians not to allow "the memory of such sacrifices to fade away."