Iran: Protesters targeted with live ammunition, children among casualties

There are reports of further casualties caused by police violence in Iran while there is no sign of easing of the crackdown on protests that began after the death of young Kurdish woman Mahsa (Zhina) Amini in police custody on 16 September.

Kurdistan Human Rights Network (HRN) reported use of live ammunition Friday on protesters in the city of Sanandaj, the capital of Iran's Kurdistan province, that left dozens injured including children.

It said:

"During last night's protests in Sanandaj, the security forces arrived in the areas where the protests were held, with cars with private license plates, and fired tear gas and bullets at the protesters. At least 35 citizens, including 5 children, were injured by bullets."

Over 13,000 arrested since 16 September

The independent Iranian news outlet Iran Wire said on Saturday that more than 13,000 protesters and their supporters have been arrested during the demonstrations that took place in the last 40 days, citing Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).

The names of most of the people in custody have not been officially announced, and the whereabouts of many of them remain unknown, Iran Wire said.

Accounts of a victim

It also recounted accounts of a victim, who told Iran Wire that he was arrested in Tabriz after his picture at a protest was exposed on social media, and that he was arrested on 9 October following a visit to his house by two police officers and four agents of the Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC-IO).

He was held in IRGC Intelligence’s Detention Center (Cell 19B), and was subjected to beating and torture during his interrogation. Both of his shoulders were dislocated after the interrogator pulled his hands that were tied behind the chair.

He was then transferred to the Tabriz Central Prison, where a large number of detainees were being held, most of them university students.

He was later taken to the Revolutionary Guards' detention center, where the interrogators, he said, were focused on terrorizing the detainees. He recounted one of them saying: "Sixty-four people have been in solitary confinement here for two years. They were all like you and their names have not been published in the media."

He was eventually released, a day after the deadly incidents at the notorious Evin Prison.