The 2011–2012 protests in Iran were a series of demonstrations in Iran which began on 14 February 2011, called "The Day of Rage".
The protests followed the
2009–2010 Iranian election protests
After incumbent president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad declared victory in the 2009 Iranian presidential election, protests broke out in major cities across Iran in support of opposition candidates Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi. The protests con ...
and were influenced by
other concurrent protests in the region.
Background
Following the highly controversial
2009 Iranian presidential election
Presidential elections were held in Iran on 12 June 2009, with incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad running against three challengers. The next morning the Islamic Republic News Agency, Iran's news agency, announced that with two-thirds of the votes c ...
s,
massive protests erupted across Iran. The Iranian government suppressed the protests and stopped the mass demonstrations in 2009, with only very minor flare-ups in 2010. However, not many of the protesters' demands were met.
Then, the
Arab Spring
The Arab Spring () was a series of Nonviolent resistance, anti-government protests, Rebellion, uprisings, and Insurgency, armed rebellions that spread across much of the Arab world in the early 2010s. It began Tunisian revolution, in Tunisia ...
spread across the West Asia and North Africa. After the ousting of President
Zine El Abidine Ben Ali
Zine El Abidine Ben Ali (Tunisian Arabic: , ; 3 September 1936 – 19 September 2019), commonly known as Ben Ali or Ezzine, was a Tunisian politician who served as the second President of Tunisia from 1987 to 2011. In that year, during the Tun ...
in Tunisia on 14 January 2011, millions of people began demonstrating across the region in a broad movement aimed at various issues such as their
standards of living
Standard of living is the level of income, comforts and services available to an individual, community or society. A contributing factor to an individual's quality of life, standard of living is generally concerned with objective metrics outside ...
or influencing significant reforms, with varying degrees of success. With the successful ousting of Egyptian President
Hosni Mubarak
Muhammad Hosni El Sayed Mubarak (; 4 May 1928 – 25 February 2020) was an Egyptian politician and military officer who served as the fourth president of Egypt from 1981 to 2011 and the 41st Prime Minister of Egypt, prime minister from 1981 to ...
on 11 February 2011 following that of President Ben Ali of Tunisia, renewed protests began in Iran.
2011 Protests
On 27 January, the opposition group
Green Movement
Green politics, or ecopolitics, is a political ideology that aims to foster an ecologically sustainable society often, but not always, rooted in environmentalism, nonviolence, social justice and grassroots democracy. Wall 2010. p. 12-13. It ...
of Iran announced a series of protests against the
Iranian government
The Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran (), known simply as ''Nezam'' (), is the ruling State (polity), state and current political system in Iran, in power since the Iranian Revolution and fall of the Pahlavi dynasty in 1979.
Its Const ...
scheduled to take place prior to the "Revolution Day" march on 11 February.
On 9 February, various opposition groups in Iran sent a letter to the
Ministry of Interior
An interior ministry or ministry of the interior (also called ministry of home affairs or ministry of internal affairs) is a government department that is responsible for domestic policy, public security and law enforcement.
In some states, th ...
requesting permission to protest under the control of the
Iranian police
The Police Command of the Islamic Republic of Iran, abbreviated as Faraja ( ), is the uniformed police force in Iran. The force was created in early 1992 by merging the Shahrbani (, ), Gendarmerie (, ), and Islamic Revolutionary Committees (, ) ...
. Permission was refused by the relevant government officials. Despite these setbacks and crackdowns on activists and members of opposition parties, opposition leaders such as
Mir Hossein Mousavi
''Mir'' (, ; ) was a space station operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, first by the Soviet Union and later by the Russian Federation. ''Mir'' was the first modular space station and was assembled in orbit from 1986 to 19 ...
and
Mehdi Karroubi
Mehdi Karroubi (, born 26 September 1937) is an Iranian Shia cleric and reformist politician leading the National Trust Party. Following 2009–2010 Iranian election protests, Karroubi was put under house arrest in February 2011. As of 2021, he ...
called for protests. According to the
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
, protesters argued that Ahmadinejad's 2009 re-election as president was rigged.
Timeline
14 February
This date was chosen for protests to coincide with 25 Bahman, the 11th month of the
Persian calendar
The Iranian calendars or Iranian chronologies (, ) are a succession of calendars created and used for over two millennia in Iran, also known as Persia. One of the longest chronological records in human history, the Iranian calendar has been modi ...
,
and was publicized as "The Day of Rage".
The day before the protests were due to begin, opposition leaders Mousavi and Karroubi were placed under house arrest and denied access to telephones and the Internet. Their homes were blockaded and they were not allowed visitors.
On 14 February 2011, thousands of protesters began to gather in a solidarity rally with Egypt and Tunisia. There was a large number of police on the streets to keep an eye on the protesters, but thousands were still able to gather together in
Tehran
Tehran (; , ''Tehrân'') is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is the capital of Tehran province, and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District (Tehran County), Central District. With a population of around 9. ...
's
Azadi Square.
The solidarity protests turned into an anti-government demonstration during which the police fired tear gas and
paintball
Paintball is a competitive sport, competitive team sport, team shooting sport in which players eliminate opponents from play by hitting them with spherical dye-filled gelatin capsules called Paintball equipment#Paintballs, paintballs that b ...
s at protesters.
To protect themselves, protesters responded by setting fires in garbage bins.
Video footage showed a man being violently beaten by a group of protesters. Two protesters were killed in Tehran, both university students.
Sane Jaleh during the protest, and
Mohammad Mokhtari the next day from his wounds. According to reporter
Farnaz Fassihi, Jaleh and Mokhtari were both shot by men on motorcycles who their friends identified as
Basij
The Basij (, lit. ''The Mobilization'') or Sâzmân-e Basij-e Mostaz'afin (, lit. ''Organization for Mobilization of the Oppressed''), is a paramilitary volunteer militia within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and one of its five ...
members.
Protests were also reported in the cities of
Isfahan
Isfahan or Esfahan ( ) is a city in the Central District (Isfahan County), Central District of Isfahan County, Isfahan province, Iran. It is the capital of the province, the county, and the district. It is located south of Tehran. The city ...
and
Shiraz
Shiraz (; ) is the List of largest cities of Iran, fifth-most-populous city of Iran and the capital of Fars province, which has been historically known as Pars (Sasanian province), Pars () and Persis. As of the 2016 national census, the popu ...
, which police forcibly dispersed,
as well as in
Rasht
Rasht (; ) is a city in the Central District (Rasht County), Central District of Rasht County, Gilan province, Gilan province, Iran, serving as the capital of the province, the county, and the district. The city is also known as the "City of ...
,
Mashhad
Mashhad ( ; ), historically also known as Mashad, Meshhed, or Meshed in English, is the List of Iranian cities by population, second-most-populous city in Iran, located in the relatively remote north-east of the country about from Tehran. ...
, and
Kermanshah
Kermanshah is a city in the Central District (Kermanshah County), Central District of Kermanshah province, Kermanshah province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. The city is from Tehran in the western pa ...
.
The protests that occurred on this day marked a setback for the government of Iran, as the regime had campaigned that Mousavi's Green Movement had lost momentum, but the revived uprisings helps proved otherwise.
According to some reports, 1,500
Hezbollah
Hezbollah ( ; , , ) is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and paramilitary group. Hezbollah's paramilitary wing is the Jihad Council, and its political wing is the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc party in the Lebanese Parliament. I ...
fighters assisted in the suppression of the protests in Azadi Square. Following the initial protests, Hezbollah fighters allegedly continued to participate, assisting local forces in suppressing protests.
15–16 February
Protests on 15 February were not as intense as the day before. On 16 February, there were sporadic clashes between protesters and pro-government forces. Karroubi and Mousavi responded to calls for their execution by saying they are willing to die in pursuit of a democratic change.
Thousands of pro-government supporters turned up in Tehran for several state sponsored rallies on 16 February.
17–19 February
On 17 February, it was reported that opposition leader Mousavi had been missing since Tuesday, 15 February. Mousavi's daughters stated that they had had no contact with their father for over two days after security forces had put him under house arrest. His daughters feared that both Mousavi and their mother "had been detained".
Mousavi's website stated that the "normal" guards that had been surrounding his home during his house arrest over the past week had been replaced with "masked security forces". Karroubi reported that one of his son's homes had been raided in an attempt to arrest his eldest son, but he was not in the building at the time.
On 18 February, Iran organized pro-regime rallies, with thousands of pro-government supporters calling for the execution of opposition leaders after
Friday prayers
Friday prayer, or congregational prayer (), is the meeting together of Muslims for communal prayer and service at midday every Friday. In Islam, the day itself is called ''Yawm al-Jum'ah'' (shortened to ''Jum'ah''), which translated from Arabic me ...
. Ayatollah
Ahmad Jannati
Ahmad Jannati (Persian: احمد جنتی; born 23 February 1927) is an Iranian conservative politician. Jannati is known for his anti-LGBT rhetoric and opposition to secularism. He is also a founding member of the Haghani school of thought.
...
said that the opposition leaders had lost their reputation and are as good as "dead and executed". He said there should be more restrictions on Mousavi and Karroubi. "Their communications with people should be completely cut. They should not be able to receive or send messages. Their phone lines and Internet should be cut. They should be prisoners in their homes."
On 19 February, the
Interior Minister
An interior minister (sometimes called a minister of internal affairs or minister of home affairs) is a Cabinet (government), cabinet official position that is responsible for internal affairs, such as public security, civil registration and iden ...
Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar stated that the protests set for Sunday, 20 February, will "be confronted as per the law".
20 February
Protests were also planned for 20 February, to mark a week since the deaths of those killed in the 14 February protests.
The
Fars News Agency
The Fars News Agency is a news agency in Iran managed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), one of the three branches of the Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces. While it describes itself as "Iran's leading independent news agency" ...
released a report in the morning warning that "armed opposition groups plan to shoot at people in
heprotest rally set for Sunday afternoon." The government prohibited foreign media outlets based in Tehran from reporting on the protests, prompting the opposition to rely on social media as an alternative means of coverage. Protesters began gathering in the tens of thousands throughout Iran and especially in Tehran.
The protesters were seen occupying government buildings, such as the
Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting
The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB; ) or Seda va Sima () for short, formerly called National Iranian Radio and Television until the Iranian revolution of 1979, is an Iranian state-controlled media corporation that holds a monopo ...
building. However, extremely large numbers of police and plainclothes Basij militia were stationed throughout the city, even outnumbering the protesters in some of the city squares. Tear gas was fired and witnesses reported that security forces fired into protests and beat demonstrators with steel batons. In one neighborhood, Basij members reportedly took over a commercial building and dropped tear gas canisters from the roof onto protesters.
Eyewitnesses reported that two protesters were killed by Basij paramilitaries, one each in the
Vanak and
Vali Asr squares.
Police arrested a number of protesters and were seen stopping people on the streets and frisking them, along with removing people from vehicles.
The daughter of former Iranian President
Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
Akbar Hashemi Bahramani Rafsanjani (25 August 19348 January 2017) was an Iranian cleric, politician and writer who served as the fourth president of Iran from 1989 to 1997. One of the founding fathers of the Government of Iran, Islamic Republic, ...
,
Faezeh Hashemi, was arrested for taking part in a banned rally. Shortly afterward, she was reportedly released. The Fars News Agency reported that she had been released after claiming that she was out shopping.
There were also reports of other protester demonstrations going on in other major cities across Iran. However, coverage by journalists was thin because the
Ministry of Intelligence and National Security had "sent a letter to foreign media offices in Tehran warning them that their bureaus would be shut down and their reporters deported if they wrote 'negative articles' surrounding the opposition protests." While the protests were taking place, the IRNA news agency released television reports saying that things were "completely quiet and normal." Furthermore, the Fars News Agency had released reports to the public saying that the 20 February protests would be especially violent, because the "opposition plans to shoot people".
It was later reported by witnesses that demonstrations did take place in
Isfahan
Isfahan or Esfahan ( ) is a city in the Central District (Isfahan County), Central District of Isfahan County, Isfahan province, Iran. It is the capital of the province, the county, and the district. It is located south of Tehran. The city ...
and
Shiraz
Shiraz (; ) is the List of largest cities of Iran, fifth-most-populous city of Iran and the capital of Fars province, which has been historically known as Pars (Sasanian province), Pars () and Persis. As of the 2016 national census, the popu ...
, most of which were dispersed after being attacked by police and Basij militia. Five protesters were reportedly injured in Shiraz.
21 February
A statement released by the "Green Wave" movement in France said that the first secretary and vice consul at the consulate in Milan, Ahmed Maleki, a nephew to opposition leader Ayatollah Medhi Karroubi, had defected to the side of the opposition movement, and applied for political asylum in France where the rest of his immediate family were already residing.
24 February
A statement was released by opposition websites and opposition leader Mousavi calling for "nationwide street protests every Tuesday for the next three weeks as a way to increase pressure on the government", which would have protests occurring on 1, 8, and 15 March. Dubbed the "Tuesdays of Protest", they were decided upon in order to keep the "momentum" of the protests going and to call for the protesters to move onto other types of resistance, such as "sit-ins, strikes, boycotts and civil resistance". The opposition has also stated that these new protests were called for in order to end the house arrests of the opposition leaders, Mousavi and Karroubi.
25 February
A video depicting opposition leader Mehdi Karroubi was released early 25 February on the news website Sahamnews.org. It had been recorded by Karroubi before he had been placed under house arrest on 13 February. It called for the protesters to remain determined, saying, "We must remain determined on the road of our convictions, and I am certain we will succeed...We are committed to the pact we made with the people, to establish the power of the people and Islam based on elections. And on this road, no trouble, no difficulty is too hard to bear." The video itself was snuck out of his home by his wife in order to get it to the local media.
26 February
It was reported that opposition leaders Mousavi and Karroubi, along with their wives, had been "placed in a safe house for their own welfare, but they have not been arrested", according to officials in the Iranian government. This was stated to be for their own protection, as the protesters were "looking for martyrs".
The
International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran
The Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI; formerly the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, ICHRI) is an American non-government organization that aims to promote human rights in Iran.
The group started in late 2007 when several human ...
expressed its concern for these changes, since a
safe house
A safe house (also spelled safehouse) is a dwelling place or building whose unassuming appearance makes it an inconspicuous location where one can hide out, take shelter, or conduct clandestine activities.
Historical usage
It may also refer to ...
is "considered a place for the secret detention of high security-value detainees, which is not under the control of the judiciary or any other monitoring mechanisms." They have been reportedly used in the past by the Iranian government as places where confessions are obtained from detainees through "methods and techniques".
28 February
The statement that opposition leaders Mousavi and Karroubi had been moved to a safe house was put at odds with a statement released by a member of the Iranian judiciary, who stated that, "The two are currently in their homes and there have only been restrictions on their contacts."
1 March
According to the families of opposition leaders
Karroubi and
Mousavi, and the website Kaleme (which is connected to the leaders), Karroubi and Mousavi and their wives have been arrested and are being held in
Heshmatiyeh Prison. Officials of the Iranian government have denied it. An advisor to opposition leader Mousavi, Ardeshir Amir-Arjomand, said in response to this charge that Mousavi and Karroubi "have become hostages in the hands of the Iranian government. It is surprising that two prominent political figures have disappeared and no government official takes responsibility."
The opposition movement called for a protest for 1 March, which is the first in a series of protests dubbed the "Tuesdays of Protest". As in the other protests, security forces deploying tear gas and other weapons were out in significant numbers and clashed with protesters. According to opposition sources, over 200 protesters were arrested in Tehran by security services and plain clothes and another 40 in Isfahan.
[Iran opposition: Over 200 'arrested' in Tuesday protest]
bbc news, 2 March 2011 According to the BBC news, one of the arrested was Fakhrosadar Mohtashami, the wife of former minister
Mostafa Tajzadeh, who (according to a relative or hers) is being kept in
Evin Prison
Evin Prison () is a prison located in the Evin neighborhood of Tehran, Iran. The prison has been the primary site for detaining Iran's political prisoners since 1972, before and after the Iranian Revolution, in a purpose-built wing nicknamed "E ...
and "has not been allowed contact with her family for the time being."
[
According to RFERL, a "number of prominent Iranian activists" have appealed to United Nations Secretary-General ]Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon (born 13 June 1944) is a South Korean politician and diplomat who served as the eighth secretary-general of the United Nations between 2007 and 2016. Prior to his appointment as secretary-general, Ban was the South Korean minister ...
urging him "to use all 'international levers' at his disposal" to ensure the welfare of Musavi and Karrubi and "seek their release from detention". Amnesty International
Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says that it has more than ten million members a ...
has issued a document of "Urgent Action" to their members asking them to write to Iranian authorities and appeal to them to "immediately disclose the whereabouts of Mir Hossein Mousavi, Mehdi Karroubi, Zahra Rahnavard and Fatemeh Karroubi."
The Iranian foreign ministry spokesman, Ramin Mehmanparast, stated that the situation with Mousavi and Karroubi was a "domestic issue" and that "the news related to some people arroubi and Mousaviwill be looked into by judiciary officials and within the legal frameworks. This issue cannot be used as a pretext by America and some other western countries ... to try to divert everyone's attention to unreal issues." Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i
Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i (, ; born 29 September 1956) is an Iranian Iranian Principlists, conservative politician, Faqīh, Islamic jurist and prosecutor who currently serves as Chief Justice of Iran.
He was Ministry of Intelligence and Natio ...
, spokesperson for the Iranian judiciary. also released a statement saying, "The news released by some hostile media regarding the transfer of Mr Moussavi and Mr Karroubi to Heshmatieh detention centre is not correct."
3 March
President Ahmadinejad blamed foreign powers for triggering unrest in Iran during a trip to Lorestan province.
5 March
Opposition website Kaleme posted an announcement by the Green Coordination Council of the Green Path of Hope that called for a protest set for 8 March, which is International Women's Day
International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated on 8 March, commemorating women's fight for equality and liberation along with the women's rights movement. International Women's Day gives focus to issues such as gender equality, reproductive righ ...
. The protest is to be focused on "demanding more gender equality in the Islamic Republic and to protest the 'incarceration' of opposition leaders Mir Houssein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi and their wives."
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi
Shirin Ebadi (; born 21 June 1947) is an Iranian Nobel laureate, lawyer, writer, teacher and a former judge and founder of the Defenders of Human Rights Center in Iran. In 2003, Ebadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her pioneering effor ...
also made a similar announcement, calling for support for an 8 March protest, saying, "On this day, shoulder to shoulder with our brothers, we will come to the streets to support the popular and broad democratic demands, because achieving 'equal rights' is possible only if voiced in a democratic system. But, we must not allow anyone to disregard our demands under the auspices of preventing crisis or avoiding divisiveness." She also commented on the change of dress for Iranian women that had become law at the beginning of the Iranian government, stating, "Thirty-two years ago on 8 March, International Women's Day, a statement broadcast on national television, stripped women employed by the government of one of their most basic rights – the freedom to choose their own dress...Iranian women are not starved for political power nor are they demanding decadence. They are simply weary of enduring more cruelty and disparagement. They are in search of justice and equality."
6 March
The official website of opposition leader Karroubi released a statement saying that Ayatollah
Ayatollah (, ; ; ) is an Title of honor, honorific title for high-ranking Twelver Shia clergy. It came into widespread usage in the 20th century.
Originally used as a title bestowed by popular/clerical acclaim for a small number of the most di ...
Ali Khamenei
Ali Hosseini Khamenei (; born 19 April 1939) is an Iranian cleric and politician who has served as the second supreme leader of Iran since 1989. He previously served as the third President of Iran, president from 1981 to 1989. Khamenei's tenure ...
had been directly involved in the "abduction of Karroubi and his wife, Fatemeh", having given the orders to the soldiers under his command to do so. The statement also said that Vahid Haghanian, the administrative advisor to Khamenei, had personally led the "security forces which raided Karroubi's house in north Tehran and confiscated his belongings."
8 March
Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
Akbar Hashemi Bahramani Rafsanjani (25 August 19348 January 2017) was an Iranian cleric, politician and writer who served as the fourth president of Iran from 1989 to 1997. One of the founding fathers of the Government of Iran, Islamic Republic, ...
, the former fourth Iranian president and prominent critic of the current Iranian government, was ousted as head of the Assembly of Experts
The Assembly of Experts (), also translated as the Assembly of Experts of the Leadership or as the Council of Experts, is the deliberative body empowered to appoint the Supreme Leader of Iran. All directly elected members must first be vetted ...
, a body of clerics that chooses Iran's Supreme Leader. His departure from the Assembly came about after a lengthy period of opposition towards him among the conservatives of the Assembly after his support for the 2009 election protests. He had been running for reelection as head of the assembly, against Mahdavi Kani, but withdrew himself upon leaving the assembly. During his last speech at the Assembly, he stated, "I would like to devote my time to writing my memoirs and not run for any more public office."
Rafsanjani's resignation from the Assembly caused concern among the opposition protesters, as they had been hoping that he would "help influence Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to moderate his support for Mr. Ahmadinejad". Analysts have stated that his resignation now allows the Assembly to choose a new supreme leader that will be more conservative than would otherwise have been possible.
A report was released by Tehran Bureau
Tehran Bureau is an online news magazine covering politics, foreign affairs, culture and society in Iran and the Iranian Diaspora. It was founded by Iranian-born journalist Kelly Golnoush Niknejad in February 2008, initially as a blog. In May 200 ...
's staff reporter Hamid Farokhnia who has been covering events in Tehran. He stated that in preparation for the protests planned for International Women's Day
International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated on 8 March, commemorating women's fight for equality and liberation along with the women's rights movement. International Women's Day gives focus to issues such as gender equality, reproductive righ ...
on 8 March, various groups that have been leading the opposition, such as The Green Path of Hope, the Mourning Mothers and other groups, made announcements telling their followers to protest in multiple locations across Tehran. The purpose of this, according to Farokhnia, was to thin out the security presence at any one area, as this separation of protesters would require the Iranian police and the Basij to cover all possible places of protest in the city.
One of the methods that the Basij used to counteract this was to obtain more members, having new members "as young as 14" joining. Also, perhaps in order to show some sense of equality in light of International Women's Day, according to Farokhnia, the police also had groups of "female stormtroopers" working with the police and Basij, which he described as "fierce-looking chador-clad warriors".
Farokhnia went on to say that the Mourning Mothers told their followers to gather in protest at the usual place, "Laleh Park west of Vali Asr". In contrast, the Green Path of Hope assigned "four or five strategic locales in the city to its followers." This resulted in confusion for both the police forces and for the protesters, who eventually gave up on gathering in one of the places given and instead returned to the "old routine of walking quietly on the sidewalks of Enghelab Avenue." Because of the approach of the Persian New Year
Nowruz (, , ()
, ()
, ()
, ()
, Kurdish: ()
, ()
, ()
, ()
,
,
,
, ()
,
, ) is the Iranian or Persian New Year. Historically, it has been observed by Iranian peoples, but is now celebrated by many ethnicities world ...
, Farokhnia stated, there was a high number of shoppers that ended up mingling with the protesters, creating confusion on which people were the protesters. Farokhnia explained the scenario as having "made for unnerving moments of tension but also rare instances of congeniality: protesters offering cookies to the special units of NAJA (the state police) and some young Basijis smiling approvingly at the brave protesters, proving for the umpteenth time that no matter how foul a political ideology, most Iranians in their hearts are revolted by violence and fanaticism."
11 March
Jay Deshmukh, the Agence France-Presse
Agence France-Presse (; AFP) is a French international news agency headquartered in Paris, France. Founded in 1835 as Havas, it is the world's oldest news agency.
With 2,400 employees of 100 nationalities, AFP has an editorial presence in 260 c ...
deputy bureau chief in Tehran, was expelled from the country and "stripped of his press card along with 10 other correspondents". In response, Agence France-Presse "lodged an official protest with the Iranian authorities, in Tehran and Paris." The spokesman of the French foreign ministry, Bernard Valero, also released a statement saying: "This pitiful decision by the Iranian authorities reflects a new deterioration in the working conditions of journalists in Iran. We have expressed to the Iranian ambassador our concern and incomprehension at this new infringement of press freedom which will not be without consequences."
13 March
The children of opposition leaders Mousavi and Karroubi released a statement through Mousavi's website Kaleme stating that on 8 March, they had been allowed to visit their parents. It was revealed that the two opposition leaders were being held in separate houses that were in the same neighborhood as Mousavi's home. Mousavi had told them that during an earlier raid on his home by police forces "various documents pertaining to the period of isyears as prime minister, and a series of CDs containing years of work and research by Zahra Rahnavard were confiscated". Their children had been warned after their visit not to discuss it with anyone; but, after a few days of consideration, they decided to publish the information.
It was reported by Radio Farda
Radio Farda () is the Iranian branch of the U.S. government-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) external broadcast service for providing "factual, objective and professional journalism" to its audiences. It broadcasts 24 hours a day ...
in interviews with student activists in Iran that, since the start of the protests, "16–18 students of ehranuniversity have been detained." However, the students also noted that the number of student activists arrested could be much higher, as families of arrested student activists have been "warned against publicizing their plights".
16 March
Sajjad Rezaie, the head of the Islamic Association of Tehran University's art faculty, had spoken out previously about Sanee Zhaleh, stating that he had been "a member of Mir Hossein Musavi's presidential campaign team in the June 2009 election." In response, Rezaie was "suspended from his teaching duties pending a ruling by the university's disciplinary committee."
19 March
One of opposition leader Karroubi's sons, who had been arrested three weeks prior during the beginning of the protests, was "released on bail", but still "remains under unofficial house arrest".
Another of Karroubi's sons, Mohammad Taghi Karroubi, made an announcement in line with a previous statement from the daughters of opposition leader Mousavi, saying that he had been allowed to visit Karroubi, who is still under house arrest with his wife.
20 March
Ebrahim Yazdi
Ebrahim Yazdi (; 26 September 1931 – 27 August 2017) was an Iranian peoples, Iranian politician, pharmacist, and diplomat who served as deputy prime minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs (Iran), minister of foreign affairs in the Interim Go ...
, leader of the Freedom Movement of Iran
The Freedom Movement of Iran (FMI) or Liberation Movement of Iran (LMI; ) is an Iranian pro-democracy political organization founded in 1961, by members describing themselves as "Muslims, Iranians, Constitutionalists and Mossadeghists". It is th ...
, was released from jail after having been arrested for being a prominent opposition leader during the 2009–2010 Iranian election protests
After incumbent president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad declared victory in the 2009 Iranian presidential election, protests broke out in major cities across Iran in support of opposition candidates Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi. The protests con ...
. Upon his release, the Islamic Republic News Agency
The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA; , ''Xabargozâri-ye Jomhuri-ye Eslâmi'' or ), is the official news agency of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Founded in November 1934 as Pars News Agency during the time of Reza Shah, it is government-fu ...
reported a "one-sentence statement from Yazdi saying he is resigning as leader of the Freedom Movement of Iran." The Freedom Movement organization itself is banned in Iran because it "opposes Iran's clerical rule and seeks democratic change." The center of Tehran was locked down after crowds of anti-regime demonstrators tried to gather there from across the city. The government denied the claim saying things were "peaceful" although the deputy police chief admitted that special forces had been deployed.
22 March
Yasser Khomeini, a grandson of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini
Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini (17 May 1900 or 24 September 19023 June 1989) was an Iranian revolutionary, politician, political theorist, and religious leader. He was the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the main leader of the Iranian ...
, founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
, made a comment saying that the house arrest of opposition leaders Mousavi and Karroubi was an "unacceptable measure". This statement was made while he was "visiting Mehdi Karrubi's son, Ali, who was recently released from prison on bail." He also reportedly said he "hopes that with the beginning of the Persian new year on 21 March, 'the rule of law would be established' in Iran and 'people, political activists, and leading figures of the Iranian Revolution would be treated with wisdom and prudence.'"
9 April
According to the ''Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'', Mahmoud Ahmadinejad demoted his top advisor. It was also reported that his chief of staff was fired.
15–18 April
According to the Saudi-owned pan-Arab news channel, ''Al Arabiya
Arabiya (, transliterated: '; meaning "The Arabic One" or "The Arab One") is a Saudi state-owned international Arabic news television channel. It is based in Riyadh and is a subsidiary of MBC Group.
The channel is a flagship of the media c ...
'', there were protests by Iranian Arabs
Iranian Arabs ( ; ) are the citizens of Iran who are ethnically Arab. In 2008, their population stood at about 1.6 million people. They are primarily concentrated in Khuzestan province.
Overview
The presence of Arabs in Iran dates back to the 7 ...
in the city of Ahvaz
Ahvaz (; ) is a city in the Central District of Ahvaz County, Khuzestan province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. It is home to Persians, Arabs and other groups such as Qashqai and Kurds. Languages spok ...
, capital of the Khuzestan province who were "demanding more rights and humanitarian benefits." Al Arabiya reports that when the protests began, the city was blockaded by Iranian security forces who "broke up demonstrations by force", and that "15 people from Ahwaz have been killed and dozens have been wounded."[
Lebanon-based journalist Roula Hajjar wrote on the ]Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
's blog that the protests on 15 April had also occurred in the cities Abadan, Khorramshahr, Mahshahr, and Shadegan. She noted that the events had "largely escaped international attention primarily due to the efforts of Iranian officials." She also stated that the state news agencies in Iran had reported the killing of at least three people, "including one officer" by "armed insurgents".
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Headquartered in New York City, the group investigates and reports on issues including War crime, war crimes, crim ...
released a statement, saying that the Iranian government should allow international media into the area. Joe Stork, the Middle East director of HRW, stated, "Iran has made it impossible to confirm the scale of the deadly violence against protesters in Khuzestan province, making transparent and independent investigations into alleged killings and arrests there absolutely essential."
According to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) is a media organization broadcasting news and analyses in 27 languages to 23 countries across Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Caucasus, and the Middle East. Headquartered in Prague since 1995, RFE/RL ...
and The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
, Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi
Shirin Ebadi (; born 21 June 1947) is an Iranian Nobel laureate, lawyer, writer, teacher and a former judge and founder of the Defenders of Human Rights Center in Iran. In 2003, Ebadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her pioneering effor ...
sent "a letter to UN human rights chief Navi Pillay in which she describes a deadly crackdown by Iranian security forces last week on a peaceful protest in Khuzestan's capital, Ahvaz." The letter stated that "at least 12 people were killed" in the protests, "20 injured", and "dozens were arrested". Human rights activists told RFE/RL they have received reports that "there were more than 150 arrests, including a number of intellectuals, artists, and women's rights activists" and that "the rest of the activists were told to not speak to any media organization."
30 April – 7 May
It has been reported Iranian media has censored all coverage on protests in the rest of North Africa and the Middle East, especially in Syria
Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...
, possibly in an attempt to prevent more protests. It has also been reported that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been "boycotting" his duties, with some analysts predicting that the country could soon go unstable. Tensions between Ahmadinejad and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei are said to have increased. Ahmadinejad, having sidelined many of its powerful opponents (Notably Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
Akbar Hashemi Bahramani Rafsanjani (25 August 19348 January 2017) was an Iranian cleric, politician and writer who served as the fourth president of Iran from 1989 to 1997. One of the founding fathers of the Government of Iran, Islamic Republic, ...
and Mohammed Khatami), recently tried to shortcut Khamenei powers, most notably by firing Heidar Moslehi, the intelligence minister, a conservative ally to Khamenei, without Khamenei's agreement. Moslehi was later restored by Khamenei, while several close allies of the president, including Ahmadinejad's progressive chief of staff Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei
Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei (; born 16 November 1960) is an Iranian conservative politician and former intelligence officer. As a senior Cabinet member in the administration of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, he served as Chief of Staff from 2009 to ...
, have been arrested and accused of invoking djinn
Jinn or djinn (), alternatively genies, are supernatural beings in pre-Islamic Arabian religion and Islam.
Their existence is generally defined as parallel to humans, as they have free will, are accountable for their deeds, and can be either ...
s.
4 August
The fraudulent digital certificate
In cryptography, a public key certificate, also known as a digital certificate or identity certificate, is an electronic document used to prove the validity of a public key. The certificate includes the public key and information about it, informa ...
for *.google.com issued by DigiNotar
DigiNotar was a Dutch certificate authority, established in 1998 and acquired in January 2011 by VASCO Data Security International, Inc. The company was hacked in June 2011 and it issued hundreds of fake certificates, some of which were used f ...
is deployed in a large-scale man-in-the-middle attack
In cryptography and computer security, a man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack, or on-path attack, is a cyberattack where the attacker secretly relays and possibly alters the communications between two parties who believe that they are directly communi ...
against the subjects of Iran.
27–29 August
Man-in-the-middle attack
In cryptography and computer security, a man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack, or on-path attack, is a cyberattack where the attacker secretly relays and possibly alters the communications between two parties who believe that they are directly communi ...
detected first by Iranian subject, then in the Mozilla
Mozilla is a free software community founded in 1998 by members of Netscape. The Mozilla community uses, develops, publishes and supports Mozilla products, thereby promoting free software and open standards. The community is supported institution ...
forums. On 29 August, the fraudulent digital certificate
In cryptography, a public key certificate, also known as a digital certificate or identity certificate, is an electronic document used to prove the validity of a public key. The certificate includes the public key and information about it, informa ...
for *.google.com is finally revoked, but it takes weeks for all browser vendors to create and distribute a blacklist.
11 September
Reports that two more Gonabadi Dervishes have been arrested in Kovar in southeastern Iran.
2012 Protests
7 February
The children of Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karoubi called for silent protests in Iran on 14 February, to mark the one year anniversary since their fathers were placed under house arrest.
10 February
The Coordination Council of the Green Path of Hope, as one of the leading organizers of opposition protests in Iran, called for the Iranian people to "express their protest of the country's autocratic rulers, but also any form of foreign intervention in Iran such as international sanctions and war". The Council went on to state that the Iranian government was a representation of neither Islam or a Republic.
11 February
Morteza Tamaddon, the governor of the Tehran Province, said in a meeting with the Young Journalists' Club that he and his security forces were "prepared to quell dissenters on Tuesday". He also stated that the protests in general were a "propaganda pose" in order to lessen attendance at the 11 February 1979 Revolution anniversary rally and the 2 March parliamentary election rally.
13 February
Chants of "Allah is Great" and "Death to the Dictator" were heard throughout many major Iranian cities.
14 February
Isolated protests were reported throughout Tehran, with a large number of security forces and police evident on the streets. In the week leading up to the protest, Internet access in Tehran had slowed and a "serious disruption in mobile services" was reported on the protest day.
Arrests
Ignacio Pérez-Cambra, the Consul
Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states thro ...
of Spain in Iran, was arrested for a period of four hours during the early part of the day on 14 February. He was accused by Iranian police of going to one of the demonstrations. Spain later demanded an explanation or apology from the Iranian government about the arrest of Pérez-Cambra that included a "satisfactory response", threatening to call him home from Iran if one was not received. The foreign ministry already announced that it had "suspended an upcoming visit to Madrid by a senior Iranian diplomat." The UK also echoed its displeasure over the detainment of Cambra. Iran's Minister of Foreign Affairs
In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and foreign relations, relations, diplomacy, bilateralism, ...
, Ali Akbar Salehi
Ali Akbar Salehi (, ; born 24 March 1949) is an Iranian academic, diplomat and former head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, who served in this position from 2009 to 2010 and also from 2013 to 2021. He served for the first time as head ...
, called the Spanish Foreign Affairs Minister, Trinidad Jiménez, on 17 February in order to apologize for the incident with Cambra, stating that those responsible for his arrest had been "unaware that they were violating the Vienna Convention", but that an investigation was underway nonetheless.
Ghaneh Jaleh, the brother of one of the students who were killed, was arrested on 17 February, reportedly because he gave "a telephone interview to foreign media about his brother", specifically to ''Voice of America
Voice of America (VOA or VoA) is an international broadcasting network funded by the federal government of the United States that by law has editorial independence from the government. It is the largest and oldest of the American internation ...
''. During the interview, he told Voice of America that his brother, Saleh Jaleh, was not a member of the Basij, as was being claimed, but that the Basij membership card had been faked by the government. He explained that, on 15 February, his cousin had taken a photo of Saleh from his home and it was this image of Saleh that was on the Basij membership card.
Faezeh Hashemi, the daughter of former Iranian president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
Akbar Hashemi Bahramani Rafsanjani (25 August 19348 January 2017) was an Iranian cleric, politician and writer who served as the fourth president of Iran from 1989 to 1997. One of the founding fathers of the Government of Iran, Islamic Republic, ...
, was arrested on 20 February while attending one of the anti-government protests on that day. The reasons stated for her arrest included "making blunt statements" and "chanting provocative slogans". She was released from police custody shortly afterwards.
Ali Karroubi, the son of opposition leader Mehdi Karroubi
Mehdi Karroubi (, born 26 September 1937) is an Iranian Shia cleric and reformist politician leading the National Trust Party. Following 2009–2010 Iranian election protests, Karroubi was put under house arrest in February 2011. As of 2021, he ...
, and his wife were arrested on 21 February according to opposition websites, with Ali's wife later being released while Ali himself is still being kept in custody.
On the Tuesday protest of 1 March, Fakhrosadar Mohtashami, wife of former minister Mostafa Tajzadeh, was arrested and taken to Evin Prison
Evin Prison () is a prison located in the Evin neighborhood of Tehran, Iran. The prison has been the primary site for detaining Iran's political prisoners since 1972, before and after the Iranian Revolution, in a purpose-built wing nicknamed "E ...
.[
The official number of protesters arrested has been given as 150 by the government, but the opposition claims that the numbers are far higher, at around 1,500. Since the initial protests, the number of officially recognized arrests has risen to 1,500, with the opposition also raising their believed number of arrested protesters.]
It was reported that at least 16–18 student activists at Tehran University
The University of Tehran (UT) or Tehran University (, ) is a public collegiate university in Iran, and the oldest and most prominent Iranian university located in Tehran. Based on its historical, socio-cultural, and political pedigree, as well as ...
have been arrested since the beginning of the protests. One student, Arzhang Alipour, had "given interviews to media describing how fellow student Hamed Nour-Mohammadi was killed during protests in the southwestern city of Shiraz on 20 February," which resulted him being called in front of the disciplinary committee of the university three times before he was finally arrested on 12 March.
Casualties
The human rights organisation HRANA's website reported that one person had died after riot police opened fire at protesters near Tohid Square in Tehran. According to Kazem Jalali
Kazem Jalali (; born 25 July 1967) is an Iranian conservative politician and former member of the Majlis
(, pl. ') is an Arabic term meaning 'sitting room', used to describe various types of special gatherings among common interest groups o ...
, one of the injured protesters also died later in the day on 14 February.
Both people killed (Mohammad Mokhtari and Sanee Zhaleh[Supporters, opponents of Iran govt clash at funeral](_blank)
Reuters, 16 February 2011) were students, though from different universities. According to the Iranian government, Sanee Zhaleh was a member of the Basij
The Basij (, lit. ''The Mobilization'') or Sâzmân-e Basij-e Mostaz'afin (, lit. ''Organization for Mobilization of the Oppressed''), is a paramilitary volunteer militia within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and one of its five ...
militia and was killed by the opposition. Reuters reported that protesters did not deny that Zhaleh was a Basij member, but that he had "attended Monday's rally as an active opposition supporter." But other protesters have strongly denied Zhaleh's Basij involvement and produced an image of Zhaleh visiting Grand Ayatollah
Marja (; plural ''marājiʿ''; ) is a title given to the highest level of Twelver Shia religious cleric, with the authority given by a hawzah (a seminary where Shi'a Muslim scholars are educated) to make legal decisions within the confines of Sh ...
Hossein Ali Montazeri – one of the main critics of Ayatollah Khamenei
Ali Hosseini Khamenei (; born 19 April 1939) is an Iranian cleric and politician who has served as the second supreme leader of Iran since 1989. He previously served as the third president from 1981 to 1989. Khamenei's tenure as Supreme Leader, ...
and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (born Mahmoud Sabbaghian on 28 October 1956) is an Iranian Iranian principlists, principlist and Iranian nationalism, nationalist politician who served as the sixth president of Iran from 2005 to 2013. He is currently a mem ...
– indicating Zhaleh was truly with the opposition. International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran
The Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI; formerly the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, ICHRI) is an American non-government organization that aims to promote human rights in Iran.
The group started in late 2007 when several human ...
(ICHRI) and Tehran Bureau
Tehran Bureau is an online news magazine covering politics, foreign affairs, culture and society in Iran and the Iranian Diaspora. It was founded by Iranian-born journalist Kelly Golnoush Niknejad in February 2008, initially as a blog. In May 200 ...
both quote student oppositionists who deny Jaleh was a Basiji. A member of the Tahkim-e Vahdat student organisation ( Office for Strengthening Unity) told the ICHRI that Jaleh was "not a Basiji", but a member of the Tehran Arts University's Islamic Association, and that "he had attended previous demonstrations as well." Sanee's brother, Ghaneh Jaleh, also denied Saleh's membership in the Basij. He and others assert that Jaleh's Basij membership card was faked from a photo taken from Ghaneh's house.
Clashes erupted during the funeral service held for Zhaleh. ''Voice of America
Voice of America (VOA or VoA) is an international broadcasting network funded by the federal government of the United States that by law has editorial independence from the government. It is the largest and oldest of the American internation ...
'' reported that government loyalists arrived at the funeral and began fighting with the protesters, forcing them to leave and abandon the funeral service. ''The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' also reported that Iranian authorities had "hijacked the funeral of Zhaleh, busing in hundreds of pro-government supporters and banning his own family from attending." The ''IRIB
The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB; ) or Seda va Sima () for short, formerly called National Iranian Radio and Television until the Iranian revolution of 1979, is an Iranian state-controlled media corporation that holds a monopo ...
'' news service reported that the mourners at the funeral were government supporters and could be heard chanting slogans such as "death to Mousavi" and "death to Karroubi". IRIB also reported that the funeral procession was then attacked by members of "the sedition movement", who were repelled by pro-government protesters.
Two unidentified men were killed by the Basij militia during the 20 February protests, each respectively in the Vanak and Vali Asr squares.
It was later reported that another student, Hamed Nour-Mohammadi, was killed by security forces during the protests in Shiraz. The Iranian state media later quoted the president of the student's university as saying that "Nour-Mohammadi died in a car accident and that he hadn't taken part in the antigovernment rallies that day." Since Mohammadi's death, student protesters have not been allowed into the university grounds and his family warned "to remain silent on the subject of Nour-Mohammadi's death."
Al Arabiyia citing an anonymous source, claimed that 15 people had been killed in Ahvaz
Ahvaz (; ) is a city in the Central District of Ahvaz County, Khuzestan province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. It is home to Persians, Arabs and other groups such as Qashqai and Kurds. Languages spok ...
(Khuzestan province), following protests by the Arab minority there.
Domestic responses
Iranian President
The president of the Islamic Republic of Iran () is the head of government of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the second highest-ranking official, after the supreme leader. The first election was held in 1980 and was won by Abulhassan Banisa ...
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (born Mahmoud Sabbaghian on 28 October 1956) is an Iranian Iranian principlists, principlist and Iranian nationalism, nationalist politician who served as the sixth president of Iran from 2005 to 2013. He is currently a mem ...
released a statement saying, "It is clear the Iranian nation has enemies because it is a nation that wants to shine, conquer peaks and change ts internationalrelations...Of course, there is a lot of hostility against the government. But they knew that they would get nowhere.... he organizers of the protestsjust wanted to tarnish the Iranian nation's brilliance...It is a shining sun. They threw some dust towards the sun... but the dust will return to their eyes."
The commander of the Basij
The Basij (, lit. ''The Mobilization'') or Sâzmân-e Basij-e Mostaz'afin (, lit. ''Organization for Mobilization of the Oppressed''), is a paramilitary volunteer militia within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and one of its five ...
Mohammad Reza Naghdi told the Fars News Agency
The Fars News Agency is a news agency in Iran managed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), one of the three branches of the Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces. While it describes itself as "Iran's leading independent news agency" ...
that he believed the protests had been started by "western spies" and that "western intelligence agencies are searching for a mentally challenged person who can set himself on fire in Tehran to trigger developments like those in Egypt and Tunisia."
The Mourning Mothers gave their support to the protests and stated that they would be joining the protesters in their marches. They called for the unconditional release of all political prisoners, abolition of the death penalty, and a public trial for all those who had permitted massacres of citizens in the past 35 years.
Calls for executions
On 15 February, ''Press TV
Press TV (stylised as PRESSTV) is an Iranian state-owned news media organisation, owned by Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), that broadcasts in the English and French languages. The 24-hour channel, which has headquarters in Tehra ...
'' reported that members of the Iranian parliament had called for the execution of two opposition leaders for inciting demonstrations on the previous day. 221 of the MPs present at the Iranian parliament signed a statement that said "Mehdi Karroubi and Mir Hossein Mousavi are corrupts (''sic
The Latin adverb ''sic'' (; ''thus'', ''so'', and ''in this manner'') inserted after a quotation indicates that the quoted matter has been transcribed or translated as found in the source text, including erroneous, archaic, or unusual spelling ...
'') on earth and should be tried. We believe the people have lost their patience and demand capital punishment." After signing the statement, the signatories gathered in the center of the chamber chanting "Death to Mousavi, death to Karroubi." The term "corrupts on earth" is a specific Iranian charge also known as '' Mofsed-e-filarz'' that carries the death penalty.
Mousavi said that "the demonstrations rea 'great achievement'" and Karroubi responded directly to the MPs claiming that he "is willing to 'pay any price' for his country."
Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i
Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i (, ; born 29 September 1956) is an Iranian Iranian Principlists, conservative politician, Faqīh, Islamic jurist and prosecutor who currently serves as Chief Justice of Iran.
He was Ministry of Intelligence and Natio ...
, Prosecutor General Public Prosecutor General or Prosecutor General may refer to:
* Prosecutor General of Lithuania
* Prosecutors General of Azerbaijan
* Prosecutor General (Albania)
* Prosecutor General of Armenia
* Prosecutor General of the Republic (Brazil)
* Pros ...
of Iran, voiced his support for the actions of parliament and that he thought the opposition leaders should be "punished".
Pro-government clerics began calling for the execution of former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
Akbar Hashemi Bahramani Rafsanjani (25 August 19348 January 2017) was an Iranian cleric, politician and writer who served as the fourth president of Iran from 1989 to 1997. One of the founding fathers of the Government of Iran, Islamic Republic, ...
on 16 February as he had become increasingly aligned with the Green Movement since the 2009 election protests.
Clerics call for "anger" rally
The Islamic Propagation Coordination Council called for a rally on 18 February in order to show anger at what it called the "crimes" of "seditionist" leaders and their rebel allies. As a result, before and after Friday prayer, thousands of pro-government demonstrators poured into the streets of major cities to demonstrate their support and demand prosecution of Mousavi, Karroubi, and Khatami.
Censorship
All forms of Iranian media were banned from covering the protests, though the demonstrators were still able to release information by utilising social media like Facebook and Twitter. In addition, foreign media were banned from covering the events. After 10 February, the keyword "Bahman", which was the current month in the Persian calendar, was also a blocked keyword for messages on mobile phones. This resulted in slower Internet connection speeds in some cities of Iran.
On 16 March 2011, Comodo, a major American certificate authority
In cryptography, a certificate authority or certification authority (CA) is an entity that stores, signs, and issues digital certificates. A digital certificate certifies the ownership of a public key by the named subject of the certificate. Thi ...
, advised Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company, technology conglomerate headquartered in Redmond, Washington. Founded in 1975, the company became influential in the History of personal computers#The ear ...
that nine fraudulent SSL certificates had been issued by one of its affiliates in Southern Europe. The domains affected were:
* login.live.com
* mail.google.com
* www.google.com
* login.yahoo.com (3 certificates)
* login.skype.com
* addons.mozilla.org
* "Global Trustee"
Microsoft subsequently released an emergency update to revoke the fraudulent certificates that could have led to spoofing attacks. Similarly, Mozilla also blacklisted the fraudulent certificates. According to Comodo, both attacks originated from IP addresses
An Internet Protocol address (IP address) is a numerical label such as that is assigned to a device connected to a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication. IP addresses serve two main functions: network interface id ...
assigned to ISPs in Iran and may have originated from government agencies interested in monitoring dissident activity.
2012
In the days leading up to the 14 February 2012 protests, Internet access to specific sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, and "other foreign sites", along with email access, was blocked throughout Iran, affecting more than 30 million people. The sites were replaced with a message reading, "According to computer crime regulations, access to this Web site is denied." As reported by ''The Washington Post'', a number of Iranian bloggers feared that this outage was a precursor to the implementation of the "National Internet", also known as the "Halal Internet", which would allow the Iranian government to "block 'damaging' Western Web sites".
On 13 February, it was reported that email access had returned, though the other sites remained blocked.
Use of child soldiers
''The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' reported that after the 1 March protest onwards, children from ages 12–16 began being used by the Basij
The Basij (, lit. ''The Mobilization'') or Sâzmân-e Basij-e Mostaz'afin (, lit. ''Organization for Mobilization of the Oppressed''), is a paramilitary volunteer militia within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and one of its five ...
against the protesters. According to information released by the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran
The Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI; formerly the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, ICHRI) is an American non-government organization that aims to promote human rights in Iran.
The group started in late 2007 when several human ...
, these children were "armed with batons, clubs and air guns and ordered to attack demonstrators who have tried to gather in Tehran." They had been bussed in by the government from rural provinces far from the capital. People in the area stated that the children had been paid and were also promised chelo kebab dinners.
The executive director of the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, Hadi Ghaemi, stated that "it's really a violation of international law. It's no different than child soldiers
Children in the military, including state armed forces, non-state armed groups, and other military organizations, may be trained for combat, assigned to support roles, such as cooks, porters/couriers, or messengers, or used for tactical adv ...
, which is the custom in many zones of conflict. They are being recruited into being part of the conflict and armed for it." He also commented that "they are very keen to display violence. Teenage boys are notorious for that. They are being used to ensure there is a good ratio of government forces to protesters and because the average policeman in Tehran could have some kind of family connection to the people they have to beat up. It's a classic tactic to bring people from outside, because they have no sense of sympathy for city dwellers."
International reactions
;Supranational bodies
* At the meeting in Brussels
Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...
of the 27 members of the European Union on 21 February, seven of the EU countries "called for sanctions to be adopted when the ministers gather again next month" against Iran for their human rights violations. This was in response to the government's actions in terms of the protesters and because of the execution of " Zahra Bahrami, an Iranian-Dutch national sentenced for drug trafficking", on 4 February.
:Catherine Ashton
Catherine Margaret Ashton, Baroness Ashton of Upholland (born 20 March 1956) is a Labour Party (UK), British Labour politician who served as the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of th ...
, the for the EU, made a statement in regards to Iran's reasoning that house arrest is "necessary for the opposition leaders' own protection." She said in her statement, "This justification remains unconvincing and does not explain why they have not been allowed normal communications." She also went on to say that if they were released, this would "dispel the impression that the continued restrictions under which they are held constitute a means of deliberate suppression of political opposition in Iran."
* – Secretary-General
Secretary is a title often used in organizations to indicate a person having a certain amount of authority, Power (social and political), power, or importance in the organization. Secretaries announce important events and communicate to the org ...
Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon (born 13 June 1944) is a South Korean politician and diplomat who served as the eighth secretary-general of the United Nations between 2007 and 2016. Prior to his appointment as secretary-general, Ban was the South Korean minister ...
stated in a council meeting that the arrest of opposition leaders Mousavi and Karroubi "violated the Iranian Constitution and civil law as well as the international provisions of human rights."
**The United Nations Human Rights Council
The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is a United Nations body whose mission is to promote and protect human rights around the world. The Council has 47 members elected for staggered three-year terms on a United Nations Regional Gro ...
had a vote on 24 March that appointed a "Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran", who will "independently investigate and report on abuses in Iran, and make recommendations on how they can be addressed."
;States
* – Foreign Minister
In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and relations, diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral r ...
Lawrence Cannon
Lawrence Cannon, (born December 6, 1947) is a Canadian politician from Quebec and Prime Minister Stephen Harper's former Quebec lieutenant. In early 2006, he was made the Minister of Transport. On October 30, 2008, he relinquished oversight ...
released a statement saying that "Canada is deeply concerned by the violence perpetrated by Iranian authorities against peaceful protestors in Tehran. The hypocrisy of Iranian authorities' calls for democracy in Egypt and suppression of the same demands in Iran is deeply disturbing."
* – Guido Westerwelle, the German Minister for Foreign Affairs
In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and relations, diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral re ...
, spoke with Germany's diplomat from Iran to "protest the removal of ousavi and Karroubi and called on Tehran to allow the pair access to lawyers." He also spoke with Germany's diplomat in Iran, urging him to "guarantee the safety" of the opposition leaders.
:Steffen Seibert, a spokesman for the German government, said that "the removal of the men was an 'intimidation tactic' that violates international human rights laws."
* – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin Netanyahu (born 21 October 1949) is an Israeli politician who has served as the prime minister of Israel since 2022, having previously held the office from 1996 to 1999 and from 2009 to 2021. Netanyahu is the longest-serving prime min ...
called upon the West to act against Iran: "If the international community is applying special pressure on Libya and warning its leader and soldiers against violating civil rights, the same warning must be aimed at Iran's leaders and their henchmen... At the same time as Kadhafi is massacring his opponents in Libya, the regime of the ayatollahs in Iran is systematically executing its opponents...I believe that a firm reaction will send a very clear message of encouragement and hope to the Iranian people, that no one has forgotten their struggle for freedom and liberty."
* – Frank Belfrage, the State Secretary for Foreign Affairs, summoned and spoke with the Iranian ambassador, Rasoul Eslami, on 3 March to discuss the arrest of opposition leaders Mousavi and Karroubi. State Secretary Belfrage said that "the ambassador's explanation of the circumstances was 'unsatisfactory' and that Sweden will keep a close eye on the development of the case."
* – William Hague
William Jefferson Hague, Baron Hague of Richmond (born 26 March 1961) is a British politician and life peer who was Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from 1997 to 2001 and Deputy Leader from 2005 to 2010. He was th ...
, the Foreign Secretary for the U.K., commented, "I have seen reports today of peaceful demonstrators being assaulted by Iranian security forces. President Ahmadinejad last Friday told the Egyptian people that they had the right to express their own views about their country. I call on the Iranian authorities to allow their own people the same right and to ensure that the security authorities exercise restraint."
**Tony Blair
Sir Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party (UK), Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. He was Leader ...
, former British Prime Minister, stated, "I think it's very important that we stand up now for those people who want to protest for freedom and proper democratic elections in Iran." He added, "I think change in Iran's governmentwould be possibly the single most dramatic change in the whole of the region because you would then have Iran playing a constructive part. You would have Iran not trying to destabilize other countries in the region, and arming militia-type groups."
* – During a press conference, President Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
spoke out about Iran and its protesters saying: "My hope and expectation is that we're going to continue to see the people of Iran have the courage to be able to express their yearning for greater freedoms and a more representative government, understanding that America cannot ultimately dictate what happens inside of Iran any more than it could inside of Egypt." Hillary Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer and diplomat. She was the 67th United States secretary of state in the administration of Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, a U.S. senator represent ...
, Secretary of State for the United States, said that the White House "very clearly and directly support the aspirations f the protesters. She also noted the hypocrisy of the Iranian government for supporting the protests and revolution in Egypt, but not allowing peaceful protests within Iran. She added, "We think that there needs to be a commitment to open up the political system in Iran to hear the voices of the opposition and civil society." In an advance response, the US State Department
The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs o ...
set up a Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
languag
Twitter feed
the day before in order to allow easier communication by Iran's Internet users with the outside world. The Department's first tweet on the feed announced, "US State Dept recognizes historic role of social media among Iranians. We want to join in your conversations." The United States Treasury Department released a statement placing sanctions on Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi, the Tehran prosecutor general, and Mohammad Reza Naqdi
Mohammad Reza Naqdi (also spelled "Naghdi"; ) is an Iranian military officer who is a senior officer in the IRGC.
Background
According to the biography published by the semi-official Fars News Agency, Naqdi was born in March 1961 in a middle-cla ...
, the commander of the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps' Basij Forces. Both men had been put on the Office of Foreign Assets Control
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is a financial intelligence and enforcement agency of the United States Department of the Treasury, United States Treasury Department. It administers and enforces economic and trade economic sanctions, ...
blacklist, which "bans any U.S. persons from transactions with them and seeks to freeze any assets they may have under U.S. jurisdiction. It also subjects them to State Department visa sanctions." This was in response to the human rights violations they had conducted during the 2009–2010 Iranian election protests
After incumbent president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad declared victory in the 2009 Iranian presidential election, protests broke out in major cities across Iran in support of opposition candidates Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi. The protests con ...
. Reuters
Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide writing in 16 languages. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world.
The agency ...
described the timing of the release of the statement as a "show of solidarity with victims of torture, persecution and arbitrary detention" in relation to the current protests in Iran and the rest of the Middle East and Northern Africa. During his annual address to the Iranian people on the Persian New Year
Nowruz (, , ()
, ()
, ()
, ()
, Kurdish: ()
, ()
, ()
, ()
,
,
,
, ()
,
, ) is the Iranian or Persian New Year. Historically, it has been observed by Iranian peoples, but is now celebrated by many ethnicities world ...
, President Barack Obama cited the violent oppression of past events, saying, "But the future of Iran will not be shaped by fear. The future of Iran belongs to the young people – the youth who will determine their own destiny." He also referenced the 1979 Iranian Revolution, stating, "You are not bound by the chains of the past – the distracting hatred of America that will create no jobs or opportunity; the rigid and unaccountable government; the refusal to let the Iranian people realize their full potential for fear of undermining the authority of the state. Instead, you – the young people of Iran – carry within you both the ancient greatness of Persian civilization, and the power to forge a country that is responsive to your aspirations. And though times may seem dark. I want you to know that I am with you."
:United States Representative
The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen ( ; ; born July 15, 1952) is an American politician and lobbyist from Miami, Florida, who represented from 1989 to 2019. By the end of her tenure, she was the most senior U.S. Representative from Florida. She was Chairwoman ...
commented that "The regime's oppression of the Iranian people has only grown since the rigged elections and suppressed demonstrations of 2009. The US made a mistake then by not voicing full and vigorous support for Iranians demanding freedom and democracy. We cannot make that mistake again."
;Non-governmental organisations
The police crackdown on protesters led Amnesty International
Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says that it has more than ten million members a ...
to denounce Iranian authorities. They released a statement saying, "Iranians have a right to gather to peacefully express their support for the people of Egypt and Tunisia." The reaction of the Iranian authorities towards the protests was strongly criticised by Amnesty International, according to Reuters.
Marvin Feuer, the director of policy and government affairs for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC ) is a pro-Israel lobbying group that advocates its policies to the legislative and executive branches of the United States. It is one of several pro-Israel lobbying organizations in the ...
, stated in a seminar with the Reserve Officers Association
The ROA (d/b/a Reserve Organization of America) is a professional association of commissioned officers, non-commissioned officers, former officers, enlisted and spouses of the uniformed services of the United States, primarily with the Reserv ...
that "despite turmoil in the region it is critical not to lose focus on Iran." He also commented on the American government's problems with supporting democracy in the area while still keeping American security interests stable: "The Iranian case does not pose the same problem. In Iran, all of these concerns align. Iran is a bad player in any realm we can think of."
;Academia
Reza Aslan
Reza Aslan (, ; born May 3, 1972) is an Iranian-American scholar of sociology, writer, and television host. A convert to Evangelicalism, evangelical Christianity from Shia Islam as a youth, Aslan eventually reverted to Islam but continued to wr ...
, an Iranian-American
Iranian-Americans, also known as Persian-Americans, are United States citizens or nationals who are of Iranian ancestry, or who hold Iranian citizenship.
Most Iranian-Americans arrived in the United States after 1979, as a result of the Irani ...
activist and writer of '' No god but God'' stated in an interview with Neon Tommy that "the ranianregime is unsustainable", referring to its current governmental system and how it responds to both internal and external forces such as the current protest movement. He commented to ''The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'' that "pressure is going to continue to build on Iran. Iran sees itself as an exemplar for the region for having thrown off an American-backed dictatorship. But it really only replaced one tyrant with another."
;Financial markets
The violence from the street protests caused fear in the global stock market that oil supplies would be interrupted from Iran, which is one of the world's leading exporters of oil. These fears caused the price of WTI crude oil
Petroleum, also known as crude oil or simply oil, is a naturally occurring, yellowish-black liquid chemical mixture found in geological formations, consisting mainly of hydrocarbons. The term ''petroleum'' refers both to naturally occurring u ...
to rise above $85 a barrel.
See also
* Iranian reform movement
The Reformists () are a political faction in Iran. Iran's "reform era" is sometimes said to have lasted from 1997 to 2005—the length of President Mohammad Khatami's two terms in office. The Council for Coordinating the Reforms Front is ...
* Iranian revolution
The Iranian Revolution (, ), also known as the 1979 Revolution, or the Islamic Revolution of 1979 (, ) was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynasty in 1979. The revolution led to the replacement of the Impe ...
* Iran student protests, July 1999
* 2009 Iranian election protests
After incumbent president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad declared victory in the 2009 Iranian presidential election, protests broke out in major cities across Iran in support of opposition candidates Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi. The protests con ...
* 2017 Iranian protests
* 2009 Iran poll protests trial
2009 Iran poll protests trial refers to a series of trials conducted after 2009 Iranian presidential election. Over 140 defendants, including prominent politicians, academics and writers, were put on trial for participating in the 2009 Iranian ele ...
* Where is my vote?
* Kahrizak detention center
* The Green Scroll Campaign
* The Green Path of Hope
* List of modern conflicts in the Middle East
This is a list of modern conflicts ensuing in the geographic and political region known as the Middle East. The "Middle East" is traditionally defined as the Fertile Crescent (Mesopotamia), Levant, and Egypt and neighboring areas of Arabia, An ...
* Freedom in the World
''Freedom in the World'' is a yearly survey and report by the U.S.-based non-governmental organization Freedom House that measures the degree of civil liberties and political rights in every nation and significant related and disputed territ ...
* List of freedom indices
This article is a list of freedom indices produced by several non-governmental organizations that publish and maintain assessments of the state of freedom in the world, according to their own various definitions of the term, and rank countries u ...
References
Further reading
*
*
*
External links
Iran Live Blog
from ''Tehran Bureau
Tehran Bureau is an online news magazine covering politics, foreign affairs, culture and society in Iran and the Iranian Diaspora. It was founded by Iranian-born journalist Kelly Golnoush Niknejad in February 2008, initially as a blog. In May 200 ...
'' on PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
'' Frontline''
Iran Live Blog
from '' Iran News Now''
{{DEFAULTSORT:2011-2012 Iranian protests
2011 in Iran
Iranian
Iranian () may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Iran
** Iranian diaspora, Iranians living outside Iran
** Iranian architecture, architecture of Iran and parts of the rest of West Asia
** Iranian cuisine, cooking traditions and practic ...
Iranian
Iranian () may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Iran
** Iranian diaspora, Iranians living outside Iran
** Iranian architecture, architecture of Iran and parts of the rest of West Asia
** Iranian cuisine, cooking traditions and practic ...
2012 in Iran
Iranian
Iranian () may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Iran
** Iranian diaspora, Iranians living outside Iran
** Iranian architecture, architecture of Iran and parts of the rest of West Asia
** Iranian cuisine, cooking traditions and practic ...
Iranian
Iranian () may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Iran
** Iranian diaspora, Iranians living outside Iran
** Iranian architecture, architecture of Iran and parts of the rest of West Asia
** Iranian cuisine, cooking traditions and practic ...
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
Protest marches in Iran
Protests in Iran
Iranian democracy movements
Protests against results of elections
Riots and civil disorder in Iran