Iran’s Judiciary: 40 Foreigners Arrested for Acts of Violence

By Staff, Agencies

The Iranian Judiciary announced on Tuesday that 40 foreign nationals had been arrested for their role in the recent acts of violence and unrest across the country.

"So far, 40 foreign nationals have been arrested during the recent violence, some of which were present at the scenes," Iran's Judiciary Spokesman Masoud Setayeshi told a televised news conference, without revealing their nationalities.

“Some of the arrested foreign nationals hold nationalities of countries that claim to be defending human rights,” Setayeshi added.

In September, Tehran said nine Europeans had been arrested for their involvement in the same acts of violence.

Riots have broken out in in Iran since 22-year-old woman Mahsa Amini died in hospital on September 16, three days after she collapsed in a police station. An investigation has attributed Amini’s death to her medical condition, dismissing allegations that she was beaten by police forces.

In the last two months, using the protests as a cover, rioters, and thugs — many of whom were later found to have links with foreign parties — went on a rampage, engaging in savage attacks on security officers, vandalism, desecration of sanctities, and false-flag killings of civilians to incriminate the Iranian police.

The riots also set the scene for terrorist attacks across the country in recent weeks.

On October 26, a Daesh-affiliated terrorist attacked the Shah Cheragh shrine in the southern province of Fars before the evening prayers, killing at least 15 pilgrims — including a woman and two children — and injuring 40 others.

At least seven people were also killed after terrorists opened fire at people and security forces at a crowded market in Khuzestan province’s Izeh around sunset last Wednesday.

In October, the EU foreign ministers decided to levy sanctions against 11 Iranian individuals and four entities over the country’s response to the foreign-backed riots.

A week later, Iran announced tit-for-tat sanctions against institutions and individuals in the EU due to their deliberate actions in support of terrorism and terrorist groups.

Moreover, earlier this month, the European Union imposed sanctions on a number of Iranian institutions and individuals, including Press TV, over alleged “rights violations” following the recent foreign-backed riots in the country.