Iran guard fatally shot on anniversary of Amini death: state media

TEHRAN: A member of Iran’s Basij paramilitary force linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was shot dead during events falling on the anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death, state media reported Sunday.

Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd, died in police custody on September 16, 2022 following her arrest for an alleged breach of the Islamic republic’s strict dress code for women.

Her death triggered months-long demonstrations which saw hundreds killed, including dozens of security personnel, in what Tehran labelled as “riots” fomented by foreign governments and “hostile media”.

“One person was martyred and three people were injured” on Saturday evening in a “blind shooting” by two unknown assailants towards Basij guards in the city of Nurabad in Southern Fars province, state news agency IRNA reported.

The news agency did not immediately elaborate on the assailants’ identity or the motivation for the shooting.

“The intelligence, security and law enforcement agencies of the province are trying to arrest the assailants” who fled after the shooting, it said.

The Revolutionary Guards meanwhile announced that a dual national was arrested over “attempts to organise riots and vandalism” in Karaj city west of the capital Tehran.

The Guards did not elaborate further on the suspect’s identity or other nationality.

On Saturday, authorities arrested several groups over accusations of “planning to create chaos” and producing content to serve “hostile media”, according to IRNA.

Many of the arrests were made in Amini’s home province of Kurdistan, as well as Iran’s northwest and south, the agency added.

Others were arrested in the northeastern province of North Khorasan for instigating “riots”, according to the Mehr news agency.

Authorities in the central city of Isfahan have “identified 97 people” and blocked 15 Instagram pages for attempting to stir up “public opinion” on the anniversary of the protests, IRNA said.