Niece of supreme leader asks world to cut ties with Iran

BAGHDAD (AP) — The niece of Iranian Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is looking on individuals to strain their governments to chop ties with Tehran over its violent suppression of anti-government protests.

In a video posted on-line by her France-based brother, Farideh Moradkhani, urged “conscientious individuals of the world” to help Iranian protesters. The video was shared on-line this week after Moradkhani’s reported arrest on Nov. 23, based on U.S.-based rights monitor HRANA.

Moradkhani is a long-time activist whose late father was an opposition determine married to Khamenei’s sister is the closest member of the supreme chief’s household to be arrested. The department of the household has opposed Khamenei for many years and Moradkhani has been imprisoned on earlier events for her activism.

“I ask the conscientious individuals of the world to face by us and ask their governments to not react with empty phrases and slogans however with actual motion and cease any dealings with this regime,” she stated in her video assertion.

The protests, now of their third month, have confronted a brutal crackdown by Iranian safety forces utilizing reside ammunition, rubber bullets and tear gasoline to suppress demonstrations. At the least 451 individuals have been killed, together with 63 minors, based on HRANA. One other 18,173 have been detained, the rights monitor reviews.

Regardless of the crackdown, demonstrations are ongoing and scattered throughout cities.

The unrest was sparked by the dying of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody in Tehran for violating the Islamic Republic’s strict gown code. It has rapidly morphed into essentially the most critical problem to Iran’s institution because the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Iran additionally stated it might not cooperate with any U.N. fact-finding mission to research the lethal crackdown on protests, Overseas Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani stated on Monday. The U.N. Human Rights Council voted to arrange the mission final week.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran won’t interact in any cooperation, in anyway, with the political committee known as the ‘fact-finding committee’” Kanaani stated.