Latest update: 8:30 pm CET
Iran’s nationwide uprising is on Saturday marking its 93rd day of relentless anti-regime protests against the ruling mullahs’ regime by people in various cities. This follows another strong rally by hundreds if not thousands of people in the restive province of Sistan and Baluchestan, including the cities of Zahedan, Chabahar, and Rask. Authorities had taken extensive measures, beginning on Thursday, to prevent the locals from holding their demonstrations following the weekly Friday prayers. The people, however, stood their ground and continued to seek their political objectives against the ruling regime and its oppressive forces.
Protests in Iran have to this day expanded to at least 280 cities. Over 700 people have been killed and more than 30,000 are arrested by the regime’s forces, according to sources of the Iranian opposition People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). The names of 596 killed protesters have been published by the PMOI/MEK.
On Saturday many employees and workers of Iran’s oil and gas industry have launched a new round of strikes. These protest rallies have been reported from the cities of Ahvaz, Asaluyeh, Mahsahhr, Gachsaran, Mahmoud Abad, Khark Island, Bijar, and other cities and towns. These strikes, and others initiated by storeowners and bazaar merchants, cause significant turmoil among regime officials, especially as the mullahs’ economy has been tanking the rial, the national currency, has been nosediving recently.
December 17 – Asaluyeh, southwest #Iran
Oil industry workers and employees on strike and chanting:
"Incompetent minister, resign, resign!"#IranRevolution2022#اعتصابات_سراسری pic.twitter.com/2E4u2c5Z05— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) December 17, 2022
Students of various universities and high schools throughout the country have also been protesting by boycotting their classes as they demand the return of their suspended classmates and the release of students apprehended as political prisoners in recent anti-regime rallies.
December 17 – Ahvaz, southwest #Iran
College students held a protest rally today on the 93rd day of the nationwide uprising.#IranRevolution2022pic.twitter.com/hA0OzU9P2L— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) December 17, 2022
Reports today showed unrest at Karaj Central Prison, located west of the Iranian capital, Tehran. Inmates from Hall 3 began chanting “Death to Khamenei!” and “Death to the dictator!” protesting the transfer of four death row inmates for their execution
Four inmates from halls 2, 3, and 5 were summoned to be transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for their executions, according to reports.
Reports show clashes between inmates and prison authorities, leaving a number of inmates injured. At around five in the afternoon local time a number of fire trucks, anti-riot units on motorcycles, and a number of other security units entered the hospital using ambulances as their cover.
Head of the regime’s judiciary in Alborz Province said one prisoner died as a result of today’s unrest and blamed the inmates for “throwing rocks”. A number of the inmates were injured and two were transferred to hospitals, he added.
The regime’s security forces opened fire on the prisoners and gunfire could be heard outside of the prison. Phone lines were down from the beginning of the unrest.
Other reports indicate the doors of the halls were broken and clashes continued. A large number of security units were stationed outside of the prison and the inmates’ families were not allowed to enter the prison area to seek answers about their loved ones.
Friday’s protests began with mass rallies in Zahedan and Rask. Protesters marched after the Friday Prayers and chanted slogans against the regime. “I will kill those who killed my brother!” the protesters chanted as they vowed to avenge the protesters killed and executed by the regime in recent weeks. The protesters also called for the release of political prisoners and condemned the Revolutionary Guards and Basij, which have played a key role in the suppression of protesters.
Other anti-regime slogans included:
“Death to Khamenei!”
“Basij & IRGC! You are our ISIS!”
“Khamenei, have some shame! Let go of the country!”
“Executing Majidreza Rahnavard was your last move!”
“This is the year Seyed Ali (Khamenei) is overthrown!”
In Tehran, people gathered at the grave of Ali Ruzbahani to commemorate him on the 40th day of his murder by security forces. Ali’s brother, who spoke at the gathering, said, “We’re 80 million. My brother who stands in front of the armed forces with a rock in his hand knows that 80 million people have his back. We’re not afraid of your bullets and guns. We’re not afraid of anything. It makes no difference, whether you kill in Tehran or Kurdistan, or Khuzestan or Zahedan. We want justice for our brothers and sisters. I will kill those who killed my sister!”
Ali’s father, who also spoke at the gathering, said, “Don’t expect us to forget. Don’t expect us to forgo revenge and forgive the person who killed this kid. We won’t forgive.”
Iranian opposition coalition NCRI President-elect Maryam Rajavi praised Iran’s brave Baluchi community for continuing their protests against the regime despite all odds and the mullahs’ extensive crackdown measures.
“Our Baluch compatriots, especially the brave women of Zahedan, reiterated their call for justice for the martyrs in the fourth month of Iran’s protests with chants of ‘Behind every person killed another thousand will rise. They vowed to continue the Iran revolution until the regime is overthrown. All the people of Iran, including Turks, Lors, Arabs, Kurds, Baluchis, and Fars are resolved to destroy the mullahs’ regime and they shall overcome,” the NCRI President-elect emphasized.
Our Baluch compatriots, esp. the brave women of #Zahedan, reiterated their call for justice for the martyrs in the 4th month of #IranProtests With chants of “Behind every one killed, there are 1000” they vowed to continue #IranRevolution until the regime is overthrown. pic.twitter.com/1cMpiE4JT3
— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) December 16, 2022
The protests in Iran began following the death of Mahsa Amini. Mahsa (Zhina) Amini, a 22-year-old woman from the city of Saqqez in Kurdistan Province, western Iran, who traveled to Tehran with her family, was arrested on Tuesday, September 13, at the entry of Haqqani Highway by the regime’s so-called “Guidance Patrol” and transferred to the “Moral Security” agency.
She was brutally beaten by the morality police and died of her wounds in a Tehran hospital on September 16. The event triggered protests that quickly spread across Iran and rekindled the people’s desire to overthrow the regime.
