The Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) have the riots andProtests in Iran against higher gasoline prices declared over. „The leaders of the riots have already been identified and arrested in the big cities, and that was one of the reasons for the end of the riots,“ said IRGC spokesman Ramesan Sharif today.
According to Sharif, there had been „minor and major incidents“ in a hundred cities. Thanks to the timely intervention of the police and Revolutionary Guards, the situation was back under control.
Sharif insisted that „the enemies“ of Iran, above all the US and Israel, be behind the disturbances. The leaders of the riots were financed by the monarchists, „who want to take revenge for the overthrow of the Shah regime,“ said the IRGC spokesman.According to eyewitnesses, protesters in some cities have demanded the return of Resa Pahlawi, the son of the 40-year-old Shah Mohammed-Resa. Supposedly, most of the arrested leaders are followers of the Shah family.
EU calls for restraint
The EU called on all sides in Iran to renounce violence. „We expect the Iranian security forces maximum restraint in dealing with the protests and the protesters to protest peacefully,“ said a spokeswoman for Foreign Affairs Commissioner Federica Mogherini today. Iran must guarantee the right to freedom of expression and assembly and also ensure access to the Internet.
How many dead were in the riots is unclear. According to Amnesty International, more than one hundred people are said to have died; Eyewitnesses even report more deaths. Iran called the Amnesty statements „invented“. Iranian authorities have confirmed nine people dead and more than a thousand arrested. According to the media, some of the demonstration leaders face the death penalty.
