For the past two months, Iran has been rocked by mass demonstrations, which began following the arrest and subsequent death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini for alleged dress code violations. The People’s Mojahedin of Iran (PMOI/MEK), an opposition group, estimates the regime’s brutal suppression efforts have resulted in 640 deaths and over 30,000 arrests across 250 cities.
The regime’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has commanded military and security forces to conduct brutal retaliatory campaigns, deploying helicopters, armored vehicles, and heavy weaponry to Iranian Kurdistan. On November 21, reports indicated security forces, including the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), employed high-caliber machine guns against unarmed civilians in Javanrud and Piranshahr, causing numerous fatalities and injuries. Early Kurdish media reports also suggest the potential deployment of nerve agents.
Iranian regime MPs further escalated tensions on November 6 by calling for the judiciary to rapidly “punish” protesters with “execution”. At least 21 individuals have reportedly been sentenced to death in subsequent sham trials.
Following a unanimous resolution condemning Iran’s human rights violations, the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee urged for further action. The resolution, the 69th of its kind, underlines the regime’s chronic breach of international human rights principles. Iranian opposition President-elect Maryam Rajavi of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), welcomed the resolution but cautioned that it represented only a fraction of the regime’s crimes.
As the UNHRC prepares to address the crisis on Thursday, there is an urgent call for enhanced economic sanctions, increased diplomatic isolation, and the expulsion of the Iranian regime from key UN institutions, such as the UN Commission on the Status of Women.
MEK Iran (follow us on Twitter and Facebook), Maryam Rajavi’s on her site, Twitter & Facebook, NCRI (Twitter & Facebook), and People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran – MEK IRAN – YouTu