Tehran, which has blamed “foreign adversaries” for the upheaval prompted by the death of a woman in the custody of morality police, announced on Tuesday that 40 foreign people had been arrested for their role in the protests.
“So far, 40 foreign nationals have been arrested for their involvement in the protests,” Iran’s judiciary spokesman Masoud Setayeshi told a televised news conference, without revealing their nationalities.
Since the death of 22-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini in the custody of morality police on Sept. 16, the Islamic Republic has been rocked by widespread unrest.
Tehran says that foreign enemies and their agents are behind the demonstrations, which have turned into a popular revolt by Iranians from all parts of society.
Also on Tuesday, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights voiced concern about the situation in Iran.
“The rising number of deaths from protests in Iran, including those of two children at the weekend, and the hardening of the response by security forces, underline the critical situation in the country,” said a spokesperson for U.N. human rights chief Volker Turk.
