Eye on Iran’s Protests - March 21, 2024

Anti-Islamic Republic sentiment dominated Nowruz festivities in Iran and around the world. “Woman, Life, Freedom” chants resounded from street gatherings in Iran, despite significant risk of arrest, incarceration, torture, or death. The regime has killed over 500 people since the protest movement began in September 2022—countless others have had their lives destroyed.

The U.N. Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran concluded Jina Mahsa Amini's death was unlawful and that the state was responsible. A year-and-a-half after her death, Iranian women continue to suffer, the chair of the fact-finding mission added in her testimony.

"Martyrs won't die," people chant in the hometown of Jina Mahsa Amini, Iran's Kurdish city of Saqhez, as her father lights the Nowruz bonfire. The fire of Woman, Life, Freedom won't die.

“Woman, Life, Freedom” chants during Nowruz celebration in Saghez.

Nowruz celebrations in Tehran, Iran are marked by youth taking to the streets, chanting slogans like “Woman, Life, Freedom” and “Death to the dictator.”

Another tragedy in Iran: Alireza Khari, a brave Iranian who burned Khamenei's photo in front of the IRGC headquarters and who was released from prison recently, has reportedly taken his own life due to relentless security pressures.

This is a harrowing UN Human Rights Council report on the Islamic Republic of Iran. A 17-year-old boy recounted, “You don’t know what they did to me. They kept telling me to say I killed someone. I was forced to say what they wanted because they raped me with a hosepipe.”

The UN International Fact-Finding Mission found that “[Iranian] security forces shot at protesters and also at bystanders at very short distances in a targeted fashion, causing injuries to their heads, necks, torsos, genital areas, but particularly to the eyes..."

This is Iran’s Vice President for Women and Family Affairs Ensieh Khazali. UANI had called on the U.S. Department of State to rescind her visa. Her presence at the UN Commission on the Status of Women is anathema to the stated goals of its 68^th session.

Iran's annual ancient fire festival, Chaharshanbeh Suri, reverberated with chants against the regime in solidarity with the nationwide uprising. There were multiple deaths amid the gatherings.

Protesters chanted “Freedom, freedom!” in Rasht, Iran.

Authorities in Iran's Kish Island have banned 42 Instagram accounts with a collective following of over two million in the latest crackdown on social media, branding the accounts “norm breakers.”