Iran’s state-run media referred to the alarming new trend of suicides from poverty and warned that Iranians would react with imminent “violent” Iran protests.
In just 10 days, at least nine people including four children committed suicide across Iran, mostly as a result of poverty and financial issues. In three of the cases, two workers who had not received their wages and a war veteran committed suicide in public as a sign of protest. Two of the workers hanged themselves while the war veteran self-immolated outside of a foundation affiliated with the Supreme Leader that refused to give him a loan.
According to the state-run Jahan-e San’at daily, suicides have increased by 23% in Iran.
Family and friends mourning at the place where the young worker hanged himself today at the oil well in SW #Iran because he had not received 2 months of his wages and was unable to feed his wife and kids. pic.twitter.com/bw0uwqWZDj
— Iran News Wire (@IranNW) June 10, 2020
“By studying the map of the leading provinces in terms of the Misery Index in Iran, we can understand the ratio of inflation and unemployment to the occurrence of social protests,” the daily wrote on June 13.
The daily said that the increasing trend of suicides in Iran were a form of protest to poverty adding that this trend would soon turn into nationwide protests.
“The lesser aspect of social protests are serial suicides while the larger aspect of social protests could soon show itself in protests such as were seen in 2018 and 2019 but on a wider scope and with more violence.”
During the last round of protests in November 2019, angry protesters took to the streets in almost all of Iran’s cities after the regime tripled the price of gas. Protesters torched gas stations as well as IRGC bases and the offices of the representatives of the Supreme Leader. The regime responded by indiscriminately shooting and killing at least 1,500 protesters and civilians including children.
Shargh state-run Daily also wrote that poverty would lead to imminent Iran protests.
“Experts say that if poverty and unemployment are not addressed, it will probably lead to protests.”
A “reformist” politician also warned that suicides by workers and war veterans from poverty held a “dangerous potential”.
WARNING- graphic image
Video shows an #Iranian war veteran torching himself today outside the Foundation of Martyrs & Veterans Affairs in Kermanshah W #Iran. The Foundation said he had "family-related issues" but locals say the Foundation refused to give him a loan. pic.twitter.com/xnOK4m2wKj— Iran News Wire (@IranNW) June 8, 2020
The interesting point to note is that since there is no capacity for expressing dissent, (the regime) considers any normal incident as a violation of (the state’s) security. But they are right in doing so. It is like being worried about the smallest spark in a storage full of cotton soaked with gas. But everyone knows that sooner or later, there will be sparks and even more than sparks,” Abbas Abdi wrote in Etemad daily.
According to a former lawmaker, the current “trust crisis” in the country is because two thirds of Iranians live under the line of poverty.
“This is a very serious matter. The middle class has almost been eliminated,” Gholamreza Mesbahi Moghadam said today.
The cleric, who is a member of the Expediency Discernment Council, said that there were only two classes in Iran: The very rich and the poor.
It is not clear when Iranians will once again rise in nationwide Iran protests, but rest assured that when they do, they will do their utmost to rid Iran of the clerical regime once and for all.
Source » irannewswire