Eye on Iran's Protests - December 20, 2022

For over three months, Iranian people from all walks of life have taken to the streets chanting “Women, Life, Freedom!” and “Death to the Dictator!”—slogans that convey a zealous desire for freedom and an acknowledgment that the Islamic Republic is incapable of providing those freedoms. The Islamic Republic is rooted in misogyny, political repression, and hatred of the West—each of which the current generation strongly opposes. The Iranian government has no legitimacy in the view of the Iranian people and diaspora community. Therefore, the West must cut off all diplomatic relations and target human rights abusers with sanctions.

Iranian Karate champion Mohammad Mehdi Karami is at imminent risk of execution by the regime. He has already been sexually assaulted and threatened with rape.

Market owners and shopkeepers closed down their stores across Iran.

Supreme Leader Khamenei accused the U.S. of working with ISIS to carry out the terrorist attack on a Shia shrine in Shiraz, Iran on October 26th.

In Enghelab, Tehran, protesters on the street chanted: “Basij and the IRGC you are the equivalent of ISIS for us.”

Protesters projected the word “Zahhak” on a banner of Iran’s supreme leader. Zahhak is an evil figure in Persian mythology known for executing people.

Iran’s Government Accesses The Social Media Accounts Of Those It Detains. Tech Companies Appear Ill-Equipped To Stop It | CNN

Human rights activists are concerned that Iran is hacking into protesters’ phones and social media accounts to gain access to their contacts to incriminate them and others in their activist network. Regime authorities reportedly received permission from the judiciary to hack Nika Shakharami’s phone before they killed her. Iranian officials easily hack social media accounts without help from telecommunications companies, as they run the “entire telecommunications infrastructure.” Furthermore, social media companies are hard-pressed to prevent the hacks. In the case of Nika Shakharami, Meta, the parent company of Instagram, found in an investigation that the regime had accessed and shut down her Instagram account. Other social media companies reported processing “dozens” of similar cases.

Fires burned in the streets of Vanak neighborhood, Tehran.

Amir University student Parsa Allahvard was transferred to Greater Tehran Central Penitentiary after reportedly being beaten and arrested by IRGC intelligence operatives.

“They Want To Create Fear:” Struggling To Crush Unrest, Iran Turns To Public Executions | NBC News 

Last Monday, Majidreza Rahnavard could be seen hanging from a crane. Notwithstanding this spectacular brutality, Iranian protesters remain adamant about their demands. One said, “Revolutions have consequences, and we need to pay the price for freedom…unfortunately, that sometimes means losing lives.” Others responded with anger and outrage, which may fuel more intense anti-government activity. The two judicial killings that have thus far been carried out have also provoked an international outcry.