THE United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union sanctioned Iranian individuals and entities a day before nationwide protests to commemorate Mahsa Amini’s death sparked across Iran.
The weekend protests took place a few weeks after Iran’s exiled Crown Prince, Reza Pahlavi, who is currently based in the US, called on Iranians around the world to unite and launch fresh protests on the anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death.
The nationwide protests started on Saturday, September 16, and continued until Sunday.
Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman who was arrested by the morality police for violating Iran’s strict hijab laws, died on September 16, 2022.
Her parents alleged that Iran’s morality police beat her while under their care but the Iranian coroner and police officers denied the allegations.
A state coroner’s report indicated she died of heart failure while Iranian officials said she fell into a coma following a heart attack and brain seizures shortly after her arrest attributed to her pre-existing medical problems.
Her death sparked nationwide protests and gained massive international attention.
Meanwhile, a group of gunmen opened fire on a group of paramilitary forces in Southern Iran, killing one of them and wounding three others during the protests on Saturday.
The controversial Western sanctions coupled with nationwide protests took place amid an ongoing prisoner exchange deal between the US and Iran, wherein five Americans jailed in Tehran will be freed in exchange for five Iranians detained in Washington as well as the unfreezing of Iran’s $6 billion oil funds frozen by US sanctions in South Korea.
A local news agency also slammed opposition and dissident groups abroad using the case of Mahsa Amini to gain profits and campaign for causes that serve their own interests.
