Four Killed in Kurdish Region as Crackdown in Protest Continues

 At least four people were killed in the Kurdish region of the Islamic Republic of Iran as the crackdown on anti-hijab and anti-government protests continues in the country, rights groups said.

The clerical rulers have stepped up suppression of persistent anti-government protests as they deployed troops in the Kurdish region. Videos on social media showed a convoy of military vehicles with heavily armed troops in the western city of Mahabad.

The Norway-based human rights group Hengaw said that the country’s Revolutionary Guards tried to suppress the protests in the Sunni-dominated Kurdish city of Mahabad. Hengaw also said that at least four protesters were killed in the Kurdish area. Human rights activists said that a 16-year-old student and a school teacher were killed in the Kurdish city of Javanrud.

In a separate statement, the Guards confirmed “strengthening” their forces in the northwestern Kurdish region to confront the terrorist groups. 

Subsequently, Prominent Sunni cleric Molavi Abdolhamid wrote on Twitter, “Disturbing news is emerging from the Kurdish areas, especially from Mahabad … pressure and crackdown will lead to further dissatisfaction.”

The ongoing protests have turned into a popular revolt by furious Iranians from all layers of society. The demonstration posed the boldest challenge to the clerical leaders since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

Protests have entered the third month despite violent state clampdown and death sentences issued to at least six protesters. Two Iranian actresses, who had posted pictures of themselves on Instagram without the compulsory headscarf, have also been arrested by the Iranian authorities. 

HRANA said that 410 protesters had been killed in the unrest as of Saturday. Reportedly, 54 members of the security forces were also killed in the unrest. 

Protests erupted across the country on September 17 after the death of a 22-year-old Iranian woman Mahsa Amini in police custody. Human rights activists alleged that the morality police beat Amini to death for not wearing the hijab.