Iran protests: 'No going back' as unrest hits 100 days

A 100 days aft they began, the longest moving anti-government protests successful Iran since the 1979 Islamic gyration person shaken the regime, but astatine a dense outgo to the people.

More than 500 protesters, including 69 children, person been killed, according to the Human Rights Activists' News Agency (HRANA). Two protesters person been executed and astatine slightest 26 others look the aforesaid fate, aft what Amnesty International calls "sham trials".

Although nationwide demonstrations person swept Iran earlier - erstwhile successful 2017 lasting until aboriginal 2018, and different successful November 2019 - the existent protests are unique, arsenic they impact radical from crossed nine and women are taking a pb relation nether the slogan "Woman, Life, Freedom".

Some Iranian celebrities person taken irrevocable steps to enactment protests, starring to their apprehension oregon exile.

Taraneh Alidoosti, a well-known Iranian actress, is being held successful the notorious Evin situation aft she condemned the execution of a young protester. Previously, she published a photograph of herself without a mandatory headscarf, holding a motion with the protesters' slogan.

"I person worked with Taraneh connected 4 films and present she is successful situation for her rightful enactment of her chap countrymen and her absorption to the unjust sentences being issued," Asghar Farhadi, who directed Alidoosti successful his Oscar-winning movie The Salesman, wrote connected Instagram.

"If showing specified enactment is simply a crime, past tens of millions of radical of this onshore are criminals," Mr Farhadi added.

Another salient Iranian histrion who has near the country, Pegah Ahangarani, told BBC Persian: "Both sides person been radicalised, the authorities successful its crackdown and radical successful movie manufacture successful their response.

"Iran cannot spell backmost to pre-Mahsa Amini era," referring to the Kurdish Iranian pistillate whose decease successful the custody of Iran's morality constabulary connected 16 September sparked the protests.

Hamid Farrokhnezhad, different well-known Iranian actor, moved to the US earlier this period and instantly called Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei a "dictator", comparing him to Franco, Stalin and Mussolini.

Ali Karimi, 1 of Iran's astir celebrated erstwhile footballers, who was surviving successful Dubai, besides supported the protests. He said Iranian quality agents threatened to termination him, yet starring him to determination to the US.

Karimi is present 1 of the astir outspoken critics of the Iranian authorities connected his Instagram account, with much than 14 cardinal followers.

Another Iranian shot icon, Ali Daei, had his jewellery store and edifice unopen down by the Iranian judiciary aft coming retired successful enactment of a nationwide strike.

What besides marks the existent protests retired from erstwhile ones is the emerging usage by demonstrators of Molotov cocktails.

Iran's Generation Z has been astatine the forefront of these protests, defying strict spiritual regularisation and mounting caller trends specified arsenic burning headscarves.

Another caller inclination among young protesters is alleged "turban tossing" - sneaking up down Shia Muslim clerics, knocking their turban disconnected and moving away.

A 16-year-old boy, Arshia Emamgholizadeh, was arrested successful the north-western metropolis of Tabriz past month, accused of "turban tossing".

He was held for 10 days earlier being released. Two days later, helium committed suicide, thing his household blames connected his attraction successful prison. During his detention, Arshia had been beaten with batons and fixed chartless pills, a root adjacent to the household told BBC Persian.

Iranian authorities person not lone cracked down connected protesters, but person besides utilized the bodies of those who person died successful custody oregon been killed arsenic bargaining chips to soundlessness the families of victims.

Fearing specified pressure, the member of a killed protester stole his assemblage from a morgue, driving astir municipality for hours, a root told BBC Persian.

So far, 2 men person been executed aft being convicted of vaguely defined nationalist information charges linked to the protests, successful what quality rights groups person condemned arsenic gross miscarriages of justice.

Many of those connected decease enactment person said they were tortured.

The Kurdistan Human Rights Network, a non-governmental organisation, said a Kurdish-Iranian rapper, Saman Yasin, who has been sentenced to death, attempted to perpetrate termination connected Tuesday. The rights radical has antecedently said Yasin was tortured portion successful detention.

In an audio record obtained by BBC Persian, a 26-year-old amateur bodybuilder, Sahand Noormohammadzadeh, alleges that helium was subjected to respective mock executions successful prison.

Mr Noormohammadzadeh was sentenced to decease successful November aft helium was recovered blameworthy of "enmity against God" (defined nether Iranian instrumentality arsenic "creating nationalist insecurity" with a weapon). He was accused of blocking postulation connected a road by tearing down railings during a protestation successful Tehran connected 23 September, which helium denied.

BBC Persian has besides obtained X-ray images that amusement 3 ribs of an imprisoned radiologist were broken, piercing his lung. Dr Hamid Ghare-Hasanlou was recovered blameworthy of "corruption connected Earth", a transgression which carries decease penalty.

An informed root told Amnesty International that Dr Ghare-Hasanlou was subjected to torture and ill-treatment successful bid to extract a forced "confession".