CNN
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Farideh Moradkhani, the niece of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been arrested after calling on international governments to chop all ties with the Iranian government.
Moradkhani was arrested on Wednesday when she went to the prosecutor’s workplace in response to a court docket order, in keeping with a tweet from her brother Mahmoud Moradkhani.
In a video assertion shared by her brother previous to her arrest, Moradkhani referred to as on individuals all over the world to induce their governments to chop ties with the Iranian regime amid protests sweeping the nation, and to ask their governments to “cease any dealings with this regime.”
“Oh, free individuals, be with us and inform your governments to cease supporting this murderous and child-killing regime. This regime shouldn’t be loyal to any of its spiritual ideas and doesn’t know any legal guidelines or guidelines besides power and sustaining its energy in any doable approach,” she mentioned.
“Now on this essential second in historical past, all of humanity is observing that Iranian individuals, with empty palms, with exemplary braveness and bravado are preventing with the evil forces,” she mentioned. “At this time limit, the individuals of Iran are carrying the burden of this heavy accountability alone by paying with their lives.”
Farideh Moradkhani mentioned Iranians are at struggle with governments who help the Iranian regime, and referred to as on democratic nations to recall their representatives from Iran and expel the representatives of Iran from their very own nations.
“What’s urgently wanted is to not help this regime that killed 1000’s of Iranians in 4 days in November 2019 whereas the world was solely watching,” she added.
Farideh and Mahmoud Moradkhani are the youngsters of Ali Tehrani, a cleric and longtime opposition determine who was married to the supreme chief’s sister Badri Hosseini Khamenei. Tehrani died final month.
Farideh Moradkhani has been arrested by the regime earlier than. She was arrested on January 13 whereas on her approach house. Following her arrest Iranian safety reportedly searched Moradkhani’s home and seized a few of her belongings, in keeping with human rights organizations.
Iran’s ongoing protest motion was initially sparked by the loss of life of 22-year-old lady Mahsa Amini within the custody of Iran’s morality police in September.
The unprecedented nationwide rebellion has taken maintain of greater than 150 cities and 140 universities in all 31 provinces of Iran, in keeping with United Nations Excessive Commissioner for Human Rights Chief Volker Turk.
Greater than 14,000 individuals, together with youngsters, have been arrested in reference to the protests, in keeping with Turk. He mentioned that not less than 21 of them at the moment face the loss of life penalty and 6 have already acquired loss of life sentences.
The violent response of Iran’s safety forces towards protesters has shaken diplomatic ties between Tehran and Western leaders.
On Saturday, Khamenei praised the nation’s Basij paramilitary power for its function within the lethal crackdown on anti-regime protesters.
Assembly with Basij personnel in Tehran on Saturday, Khamenei described the favored protest motion as “rioters” and “thugs” backed by international forces and praised “harmless” Basij fighters for safeguarding the nation.
The Basij is a wing of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and has been deployed to the streets as protests have swelled.
