US Slaps Sanctions On Iran’s Hijab Police, Security Officials Amid Protests

In a series of tweets, Amanpour said, “This was going to be President Raisi’s first ever interview on US soil, during his visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly. After weeks of planning and eight hours of setting up translation equipment, lights and cameras, we were ready. But no sign of President Raisi.”

She added that 40 minutes after the interview was due to start, one of Raisi’s aides came over and asked her to wear a headscarf, “because it’s the holy months of Muharram and Safar,” to which she declined, pointing out that “no previous Iranian president has required this when I have interviewed them outside Iran.”

“The aide made it clear that the interview would not happen if I did not wear a headscarf. He said it was “a matter of respect,” and referred to “the situation in Iran” -- alluding to the protests sweeping the country, Amanpour elaborated. "Protests are sweeping Iran and women are burning their hijabs after the death last week of Mahsa Amini, following her arrest by the "morality police,” she said.

“I couldn’t agree to this unprecedented and unexpected condition,” she emphasized, saying that “The interview didn’t happen. As protests continue in Iran and people are being killed, it would have been an important moment to speak with President Raisi.”

In a statement on Wednesday, the group said that the international community “must support calls for the establishment of an independent international investigative and accountability mechanism to address the prevailing crisis of impunity in Iran."

Stressing the urgent need for action, Amnesty denounced the recent the death in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa (Zhina) Amini and the barrage of gunfire unleashed on protesters which has left about 20 people dead and hundreds injured.

Highlighting the evidence of “security forces’ unlawful use of birdshot and other metal pellets, teargas, water cannon, and beatings with batons to disperse protesters,” Amnesty’s deputy Diana Eltahawy said that “The global outpouring of rage and empathy over Mahsa Amini’s death must be followed by concrete steps by the international community to tackle the crisis of systemic impunity that has allowed widespread torture, extrajudicial executions and other unlawful killings by Iranian authorities to continue unabated both behind prison walls and during protests.”

“The Iranian authorities’ latest brutal crackdown on protests coincides with Ebrahim Raisi’s speech at the UN,” she added, noting that "Iran’s security forces will continue to feel emboldened to kill or injure protesters and prisoners, including women arrested for defying abusive compulsory veiling laws, if they are not held accountable."

The hacking group targeted Ali Khamenei’s website on Thursday a few hours after it said it hacked more than 300 street surveillance cameras.

While the government has cut internet access in the country, the group is also trying to raise awareness about the ways Iranian protesters can keep using the net to make their voices heard in the world, mainly through Tor, short for The Onion Router, a free and open-source software for enabling anonymous communication. 

The group started its cyber operations against the Islamic Republic in solidarity with the ongoing protests across Iran over the death of Mahsa Amini who died following repeated blows to the head reportedly by hijab enforcement patrols. 

If Iran government blocks the people from accessing the internet, Anonymous will block the government from accessing the internet, the group said.

During the past few days, the group hacked the website of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also claims that it obtained the database of Iran’s Forensic Research Center.

On Tuesday and Wednesday some state-owned websites, including the website of the Central Bank of Iran, were also targeted by group. A member of the group posted a message to the Iranians on Twitter on Tuesday, saying, "We are here with you. The operations against Iran began. wait for us."

Central Bank spokesman Mostafa Ghamarivafa denied that the bank itself was hacked, saying only that the website was “inaccessible” because of an attack on a server that hosts it. 

At least two main websites of the Iranian government and some state-affiliated media sites as well as the state broadcaster IRIB were among the targets, some of whom were back online after a few hours. One of the websites of the government hosts “smart services” and another is dedicated to publishing government news and interviews with officials.

A video was also released early on Wednesday showing footage of protests in several Iranian cities that have erupted since Mahsa Amini died in custody of the hijab enforcement patrols. “This was the last straw,” an altered voice on the video said of Amini’s death. “The Iranian people are not alone”.

Following large anti-government protests in Tehran and Mahsa Amini’s hometown as well as a couple of other cities in the Kurdistan province, demonstrations expanded Tuesday to many Iranian cities and towns, with several people killed, hundreds arrested, and thousands injured.

Since protests over the death of Amini started, the government significantly slowed down the internet connection speed, a strategy it usually uses during protests in Iran to hamper communication and sharing of images and news by protesters.

Authorities disrupt the Internet to prevent news of unrest reaching the rest of the country and abroad, and to prevent protesters from galvanizing support in nearby regions.

The government usually does not use the traditional Army against protesters as it relies on forces controlled by the Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) and intelligence organizations to crush dissent.

Many Iranians have called on the army in the past to side with the people not to allow these forces to attack civilians.

One human rights group said Wednesday that there was a brief exchange of fire between the army and the IRGC in the Kurdish town of Saqqez.

Karimi, nicknamed ‘Asian Maradona’ retired in 2013. He is well-known for his many charitable activities including helping build schools in poverty-stricken areas and helping earthquake victims.

During a World Cup final with South Korea in 2010, several Iranian players, including Karimi, wore green wristbands as a show of support for Iranian opposition leader Hossein Mousavi, who accused the Iranian government of vote rigging in the 2009 presidential election.

He has also openly supported families of those who were victims of government violence during protests anti-government protests or otherwise.

The IRGC-linked Fars news agency has sharply criticized him and called him “the new leader of the opposition” for his support for the current protests.

Fierce protests began last week when a 22-year-old woman received fatal head injuries during her detention by the notorious Islamic hijab police. More than 80 cities and many towns have been gripped by unrest since then.

The new missile, dubbed Rezvan, was put on display during a nationwide military parade to mark what the Islamic Republic calls the Sacred Defense Week, which marks the start of the 1980-88 Iraq-Iran war. Forces from the Iranian Army, the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), Police, Border Guards, and paramilitary Basij are participating in the parades.

According to Iranian media, Rezvan is a liquid-fueled single-stage missile with a detachable warhead that has a range of up to 1,400 kilometers, and can be launched from a variety of fixed and mobile platforms.

During the parade, Kheybar-Shekan missile system -- developed by the Aerospace Division of the Revolutionary Guard -- was also put on display that has a range of 1,450 kilometers and Iran boasts about its high agility and pinpoint accuracy. It uses solid propellants and is said to be capable of penetrating into missile shields with high maneuverability during its landing stage.

During the ceremonies, Iran's most senior military commander reiterated Tehran’s position against any change in the historical and geopolitical borders of the region, referring to the escalation of decades-old hostilities between neighbors Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Major General Mohammad Bagheri, the chief of staff for the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic, said, “We will not tolerate changes in the borders of the countries of the region, and we advise the countries of Azerbaijan and Armenia to solve their problems through dialogue,” noting that “Iran will not accept the change of borders with war and will not stay silent."