Iranian security forces clashed with mourners who gathered at Mahsa Amini’s grave in her hometown of Saqqez on Wednesday as they sought to mark 40 days since her death.
Roughly 10,000 people had gathered at the cemetery, according to Iran’s semi-official ISNA news agency, which also reported that the internet in the region had subsequently been cut off.
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Amini, an Iranian Kurd, fell into a coma last month after Iranian authorities seized her over an alleged infraction related to the wearing of her hijab. She died days later. Her death sparked significant demonstrations, which has become one of the largest challenges to the clerical leadership since the 1979 revolution.
“Riot police shot mourners who gathered at the cemetery for Mahsa’s memorial ceremony. … Dozens have been arrested,” a witness told Reuters. Given concerns about possible protests marking the 40-day anniversary since Amini’s death, security police warned her family that “their son will be arrested” if her family held a memorial procession, rights groups alleged.
“It has been 40 days since the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of Iran’s so-called ‘Morality Police,’ and we join her family and the Iranian people for a day of mourning and reflection,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement on Wednesday. “The United States is committed to supporting the Iranian people and ensuring that those responsible for the brutal crackdown on the ongoing nationwide protests in Iran are held accountable.”
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The State and Treasury departments announced new sanctions against Iranian entities and officials on Wednesday as well, including three commanders in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps for the “brutal responses to protests in Iran,” per Blinken’s announcement.
Mohammad Kazemi, Abbas Nilforushan, and Ahmad Shafahi have “served in senior leadership roles” for the IRGC and are accused of having “been directly responsible for the suppression of peaceful protests and arrests of peaceful protesters.”
