Iranian authorities have launched a full-scale campaign of retaliation against those who participated in anti-government protests, according to reports.
The New York Times reported Sunday that Iranian authorities are imposing widespread sanctions, including arresting those directly or indirectly involved in the demonstrations.
Iran Human Rights, a Norway-based organization, estimates that up to 40,000 people have been arrested since protests erupted in late December last year. This figure is more than ten times the 3,000 announced by authorities, and observers say the number could continue to rise.
Although the anti-government protests have subsided, retaliatory arrests targeting demonstrators continue. Those detained include not only protest participants but also medical personnel who treated people injured during the authorities' harsh crackdown. The NYT reported that at least 11 medical professionals, including doctors, nurses, and dentists, have been arrested based on interviews with physicians inside Iran. Iranian authorities have also suspended operations of businesses such as coffee shops that supported the protests by helping participants, and seized some of their assets. Local media outlets that critically reported on the violent suppression, including deaths and injuries, have been shut down. On January 19, Iranian authorities closed Ham Mihan, a domestic newspaper that pointed out the leadership's failure to find solutions during the national crisis.
Families of those killed during the protests have also become targets of retaliation. While the Iranian government estimates protest deaths at around 3,000, the United Nations and human rights organizations counter that the number could reach tens of thousands. The NYT reported that authorities regularly summon bereaved families and relatives, monitoring them to control memorial events including funerals. One family member said, "The authorities made us sign pledges not to cry and not to leave the house where the funeral was held."
Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, director of Iran Human Rights, analyzed that Iranian authorities are imposing "collective punishment" to seal off the possibility of future protests. "They are trying to traumatize an entire generation so they never rise up again," he explained.
While protests inside Iran have entered a lull, signs of resistance are still observed. Seventeen civil society figures, including filmmakers, lawyers, and human rights activists, issued a statement last week criticizing Ayatollah Khamenei for systematically committing crimes against humanity. Students from 31 medical, nursing, and dental schools across Iran refused to take exams and staged sit-ins in protest against the killing of fellow students and the ongoing suppression of medical professionals.
The Iranian authorities' widespread retaliation against protesters may also be discussed in negotiations with the United States. U.S. and Iranian negotiating teams are scheduled to meet in Oman on Monday to begin talks focused initially on Iran's nuclear program.
