Skirmishes between protesters and security forces renewed in Iran against the backdrop of a second phase of demonstrations shaking the country since the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman who died in police custody.
On the eve of the end of the seventh week of unrest, Chehellom memorials for the victims of the protests expanded nationwide. In Shiite Islam, the fortieth day after a person’s funeral is known as Arbaeen or Chehellom and holds religious significance.
Videos showed thousands walking along roads to reach the grave in Karaj of Hadis Najafi, who has become a symbol of the anti-government unrest in Iran.
An account with more than 400,000 followers on Twitter posted a video recording showing a helicopter flying over demonstrators in Karaj.
According to video footage shared on social media, protesters resumed cutting off roads in Iranian cities like Karaj and Isfahan. Videos showed shots ringing out as plumes of smoke engulfed the sky.
As authorities attempted to crack down on the unrest, demonstrators threw rocks at security forces. This comes as the latest show of defiance against a warning issued by Revolutionary Guards commander-in-chief Hossein Salami.
Last week, Salami had told protesters that Saturday will be their last day of taking to the streets, in a sign that security forces will intensify their crackdown on unrest sweeping the country.
According to human rights organizations, the crackdown of security forces on protests resulted in killing at least 300, including 45 minors, injuring hundreds, and thousands of arrests.
Arrests of lawyers in the southern city of Shiraz rose to eight.
According to Human Rights Watch, in addition to mass arrests of protesters, intelligence agencies have arrested 130 human rights defenders, 38 women rights defenders, 36 political activists, 19 lawyers, and 38 journalists, the majority of whom remained in detention.
