Ashura protests
The Ashura protests occurred on 27 December 2009 in Iran against the outcome of the June 2009 presidential election, which demonstrators claim was illegitimate due to electoral fraud. The demonstrations were part of the 2009 Iranian election protests and were the largest since June. In December 2009, the protests saw an escalation in violence.
In response to this protest, pro-government protesters held a rally three days later on 30 December to condemn Green Movement protesters.
Background
Irregularities during the 2009 Iranian presidential election caused resentment among many Iranians. While post-election protests were mostly peaceful, some violence erupted, leading to clashes between security forces and protesters, while some outspoken political dissenters were detained.Dissenters continued to speak out against the government, leading to further protests in December 2009. On 19 December 2009, the Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, who had become a spiritual leader of the opposition, died. Montazeri's funeral, held on 21 December in Qom was attended by a large gathering of people and clashes ensued between security forces and mourners, leading on to further demonstrations in Qom and Isfahan. On 26 December, a paramilitary Basij force subordinate to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard stormed a mosque in Tehran where scholar and former President Mohammad Khatami was speaking. This was followed by continued clashes in Tehran in which Jaras, a news media of the critics, estimated eight to ten people had died.
Events
Protests
On 27 December, demonstrations in several cities continued into the holy day of Ashura, the climax of Muharram. Protesters in Tehran gathered in various locations such as Imam Hussain Square and Azadi Square. Protesters travelled from the two sites along Revolution Street.Seyed Ali Mousavi, the nephew of Mir-Hossein Mousavi, was among those killed in the violence. Later, it was reported that his body had disappeared, precluding the possibility of a quick burial, while state sources indicated that an autopsy was being performed. Mousavi was buried on 30 December.
Similar protests took place in other Iranian cities including Isfahan, Najafabad, Shiraz, Mashhad, Arak, Tabriz, Babol, Ardabil and Orumieh. Four people were reportedly killed in Tabriz, in north western Iran on 27 December, and one in Shiraz in the south of Iran. Access for international news media was restricted by the Iranian government.
State controlled media initially denied any deaths, though it was indicated on 28 December that 15 had died. On 30 December, counter-rallies organized by the government at various cities, including Tehran, Qom, Arak, Shiraz and Isfahan, called for the death of the protesters, with government workers receiving the day off work to attend the demonstrations.
The incident caused more damage to the public's perception of the Green Movement with the Iranian citizenry than other actions from the protesters.
Violence
Lolagar mosque in Tehran was set into fire by the protesters, according to the State TV of Iran, leading to the death of some people in the mosque. Security forces allegedly opened fire on the day of Ashura. Security forces initially denied reports of deaths and the police chief, Azizollah Rajabzadeh, stated that the police had not been armed; state television later acknowledged fatalities. Amateur video was produced which showed a security truck deliberately running over protesters. Security forces were armed with guns and shot at protesters.Arrests
Among the hundreds of people arrested in the aftermath of the Ashura demonstrations area were prominent lawyers, journalists, clerics and politicians, family members of prominent human rights activists and reformist politicians. These include:- Ebrahim Yazdi, the Secretary-General of the Freedom Movement of Iran. Yazdi's niece Leila Tavassoli was reportedly arrested as well.
- Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi's sister Noushin Ebadi, who was detained in an apparent effort to silence Ebadi who is abroad. Shirin Ebadi wrote in a statement following her sister's arrest: "It is important to note that my sister is not politically active nor is she a member of any human right organization. Her only crime seems to be that she is my sister and her arrest is nothing less than a political blackmail and attempted pressure. This is another method employed by the authorities in Iran to stop my activities."
- Heshmat Tabarzadi, an Iranian journalist and veteran democratic activist.
- Emad Baghi, a prominent human rights activist and journalist, and head of the Society for the Defense of the Rights of the Imprisoned. Baghi reportedly told his family as he was being arrested that "he would be strong in jail, and resist pressure ." The officer arresting him responded: "He will not live that long to resist."
- Journalists Mashallah Shamsolvaezin, Reza al-Basha, Badralsadat Mofidi, Mohammad Javad Saberi, Nasrin Vaziri, Kayvan Mehrgan, Reza Tajik, Mostafa Izadi, and Morteza Kazemian.
- Morteza Haji, a former government minister and a Khatami aide, as well as Haji's deputy Reza Rasouli. Hasan Rasool, a Khatami aide and the deputy director of the Baran Institute, was also arrested.
- Zahra Bahrami, a Dutch and Iranian dual citizen, who was executed in January 2011 on drugs charges