Over the past few weeks, protests have been spreading in Iran after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was under police custody. Amini was traveling with her family to Tehran when she was arrested by the country’s morality police for allegedly breaking the country’s hijab and chastity law. The state police announced that Amini suffered a heart attack at the facility she was held in, eventually resulting in her death. However, her family refuted the police’s claim, noting that Amini had never suffered similar problems in the past. Amini’s questionable death has caused outrage across Iran and, publicized by social media, has spread to the rest of the world. 

The resulting protests are among the largest mass protests Iran has seen in recent years; dozens have died and hundreds have been injured. The protests have currently spread to around 80 cities in the country, going far beyond the issues revolving around the morality police and the hijab and chastity law. Ever-increasing corruption and years of economic suffering has frustrated young Iranians and roughened their relationship with the government. The sanctions imposed due to its nuclear programs have vastly reduced Iran’s ability to sell oil resources and trade in the global market, and economic revitalization became an even more daunting task with the general decline in the world economy. Inflation, unemployment, the shortage of basic necessities, and the typical mismanagement of resources have caused anger and resentment among Iranians. These problems have crippled Iran for a long time and there seems to be no hope of revival under the current regime led by President Ebrahim Raisi, who came to power after a questionable election, during which his opponents were casted out before it even started.

There have been anti-government protests in Iran before, most notably in 2009, 2017, and 2019. These protests were met with suppression, and it unfortunately seems like it will not be any different this time. President Raisi noted that his government “would not allow for the security of the public and the country to be jeopardized” and addressed the demonstrators as Iran’s enemies. The government has vowed to deal decisively with the ongoing protests — or as they see it, riots. For weeks now, Iranians have been teargassed, shot, and beaten up after going out to the streets. Several influential journalists have been detained, including the journalist who interviewed Amini’s family during her stay at the hospital. Within the country, much information about the ongoing protests is censored through the partial or full blockage of mobile internet, and this is especially true for popular social media and messaging apps like Instagram and WhatsApp. NetBlocks, an organization which monitors governance of the internet, reported that Skype is also blocked, making it difficult for Iranians to keep each other in the loop and share what is happening inside the country with the world. The Ministry of Intelligence sent out text messages, warning against any form of protests or demonstrations, and stated that anyone participating in the said activities will be prosecuted by law.

The protests have now entered their fourth week with protesters coming from widely varying sections of the Iranian society, compared to past anti-government protests in the country. It is still unclear whether the current protests would grow bigger or lose momentum. However, it must also be considered that this is the third wave of protests that happened within just the last five years. Unless there are serious changes in the political, societal, and economic structure of Iran, the protests will be far from over.