Iran Plane Crash Political Fallout: Protesters Face Deadly Force

Hundreds of protesters and bystanders were killed in Iran last November when armed forces waged a violent crackdown on widespread demonstrations. Yet Iranians continued to risk their lives at demonstrations in January 2020 after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps admitted “unintentionally” shooting down a Ukrainian passenger plane.

The protests began in Tehran on January 11 despite the heavy presence of armed forces in the streets. Videos obtained by the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) showed crowds facing tear gas and live fire in the capital on January 12.

“Right now the roots of the protests are deep and are addressing great social, political, and economic upheavals and the repression that has not allowed any discussions or discourse within the country to resolve them,” said CHRI Executive Director Hadi Ghaemi in a televised interview with CTV News. “This is a moment of reckoning for the Islamic Republic.”

Read CHRI’s latest call to action.