"Iranian authorities have arrested key members of the protest movement that has rocked the country over the last two weeks, the national police chief has said, as Washington and Tehran threaten each other over the prospect of US intervention in the Islamic republic. Last night, significant arrests were made of the main elements in the riots, who, God willing, will be punished after going through legal procedures, the police chief, Ahmad-Reza Radan, told state TV on Sunday, without specifying the number of those arrested."
"Authorities cut off internet access in the country on Thursday, imposing a nearly impenetrable nationwide blackout. Human rights groups said Iranian authorities had used the cover of the internet shutdown to expand their crackdown against protesters, using deadly force and live ammunition to disperse demonstrations. At least 116 people have been killed in violence surrounding the demonstrations, while 2,600 have been arrested, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency."
Security forces arrested principal figures in a nationwide protest movement that began after a sharp currency decline and evolved into calls for political reform and government downfall. Officials threatened harsh legal measures, including charges of being an enemy of God punishable by death for protesters or those aiding them. Authorities imposed a near-total internet blackout and deployed lethal force, with human rights groups reporting live ammunition and pellet gunfire used against demonstrators. Reports indicate at least 116 killed and roughly 2,600 arrested. Analysts link the unrest to economic crisis and the aftermath of a summer war with Israel, amid US–Iran tensions.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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