PARIS: Security forces used tear gas and live fire to disperse protesters in Iran, rights groups said on Thursday, as people angered by the economic crisis kept up their challenge to the authorities and exiled opposition groups urged new protests as well as strikes.
The movement, which originated with a shutdown on the Tehran bazaar on December 28 after the rial plunged to record lows, has spread nationwide and is now being marked by larger-scale demonstrations.
Authorities have blamed unrest on "rioters," and the judiciary chief has vowed there would be "no leniency" in bringing them to justice. On Wednesday, an Iranian police officer was stabbed to death west of Tehran "during efforts to control unrest", the Iranian Fars news agency said. - AFP
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
