Iran: Protesters ‘throw petrol bombs at birthplace of Ayatollah Khomeini’

Protesters in Iran have attacked the birthplace of revolutionary leader Ruhollah Khomeini, videos on social media have shown.

Amid the unrest following the death of Mahsa Amini, footage showed people throwing petrol bombs at what is thought to be the birthplace of the country’s first Supreme Leader - which has since been turned into a museum.

In the video, a large number of people are seen surrounding the property which had been set alight.

Khomeini was widely praised in Iran for overthrowing the US-backed Shah of Iran in 1979 following the revolution and his birthplace has been a museum for the last 30 years.

BREAKING:

Protesters have burned down the house in which Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of Iran's Islamic Islamist regime, was born in.

The house, in the city of Khomein, has been a museum for the past 30 years.

The protests are increasing in strength. pic.twitter.com/EIezQ3LQYS

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) November 18, 2022

Ms Amini died while in police custody after being detained by morality police for allegedly violating the Islamic Republic’s strict dress code for women.

The death of the 22-year-old has sparked eight weeks of protests in the country, but has also resulted in the deaths of 342 people after security services have violently cracked down on demonstrations according to the Oslo-based organisation, Iran Human Rights.

Iranian authorities say more than 40 security forces have also been killed in the nationwide unrest.

Mizan, a news website linked to Iran’s judiciary, says one protester who faced charges of setting fire to a government building has now been sentenced to death.

Five people have also allegedly been given prison sentences ranging from five to 10 years, following national security and public order violations.

Separately, the Iranian national team’s manager has said his players are free to protest against the country’s regime during the World Cup.

“The players are free to protest as they would if they were from any other country as long as it confirms with the World Cup regulations and is in the spirit of the game,” Carlos Queiroz said.

“Iran is exactly like England. It follows the spirit of the game and the laws of FIFA. That’s how you express yourself in football, according to those principles and values. Everybody had the right to express themselves.

“You guys bend your knees in the games. Some people agree, some people don’t agree with that, and Iran is exactly the same.”