Arrests were made once more today in Iran in connection with anti-government protests, according to state media. Seven key actors in the recent protests with links to Britain have been arrested by the Revolutionary Guards intelligence services, it said in a statement. Among them are “dual nationals who tried to leave the country”.
Protests once morest the country’s leadership have been going on in Iran for months. The trigger was the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. She died in disputed circumstances in September following being taken into police custody for wearing clothing inappropriate under Iran’s strict Islamic dress code for women. The protests pose one of the biggest challenges for the Shia Muslim-ruled Islamic Republic since the 1979 revolution.
According to the human rights organization HRANA, 506 demonstrators have been killed in protests so far, including 69 minors. More than 18,500 protesters were arrested. 66 members of the security forces were also killed in the unrest. The government has said the protesters are being trained and armed by Iranian enemies including the US, Israel and Saudi Arabia.
