Dec 22, 2022
The last day of the call for three-day strikes and protests coincides with an important night in Iranian culture. The longest night of the year in Iranian culture is known as Yalda night, the night when light triumphs over darkness and promises longer days.
On Wednesday, people's strikes and protests continued in different parts of the country. In various cities including Tehran, Sanandaj, Bandar-e Anzali, Arak and Karaj, protesters gathered at the graves of those killed in recent protests. Protesters also took to the streets in Saqqez. In Tehran, people started a silent march in one of the central streets of the city.
Distribution of the strikes and protests during the 3-day call of December 19, 20, and 21. Obviously, more regions are enrolled but due to internet restrictions and the lack of credible documents are not included. These points are extracted from credible reports of Iranian sources.
Brutality Against Children
Reports show that the children who were arrested during the protests and are in juvenile detention centers in different cities are under severe pressure for forced confessions. Some of these children have been threatened with rape and their families have been told to sign the forced confession form.
According to her brother, Raha Ajoudani, a 17-year-old trans woman, was arrested on December 17 by IRGC forces raiding their house. She is an LGBTQ+ rights activist and has been arrested before as well. In an audio file, she mentions being harassed by her interrogators during her previous detention.
New Sanctions from United States
The US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has sanctioned the Prosecutor General and key military and paramilitary officials in Iran, as well as a company manufacturing and providing Iran’s Law Enforcement Forces with anti-riot equipment.
The Biden Administration has also launched a task force to investigate how despite the sanctions, western made components and microelectronics are ending up in the Iranian drones that Russia is using against Ukraine.
Soleimani’s Successor: Threats and Insults
IRGC Qods commander, Esmaeil Qa’ani, in a speech threatened dissident journalists: “Whoever engaged in even one day of media activity against the Islamic Republic will one day receive the blow for it”. And despite the growing number of brave women who appear in public without the mandatory Hijab, he said: “No decent woman has ever been unveiled in public”.