Russia drafts anti-war protesters into military amid nationwide ...

CNN —

As the first phase of Russia’s new “partial mobilization” got underway on Thursday, videos appeared on social media purporting to show newly mobilized men preparing to be deployed.

In the city of Neryungi – six time zones east of Ukraine – a community video channel posted clips of families saying goodbye to a large group of men, as they boarded buses. The video shows a woman crying and hugging her husband goodbye, while he reaches for his daughter’s hand from the bus window.

More men were shown in other videos apparently awaiting transport in the region of Yakutiya, a vast Siberian territory, and at Magadan Airport in the Russian far east. CNN has not been able independently to geolocate or date all the videos posted.

Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this week called for “partial mobilization” of Russia’s population to support the war in Ukraine, at a time when a sudden counteroffensive from Kyiv has recaptured thousands of square miles of territory and put Moscow on the backfoot. Experts say Russia’s forces have been significantly depleted.

The announcement would see 300,000 reservists called up, according to Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

In an early sign of how seriously Moscow is ramping up its efforts, the Human Rights Council of Russia has proposed that immigrants from central Asian countries who have had Russian citizenship for less than 10 years will undergo compulsory military service in Russia for a year.

“We are preparing proposals for new citizens of the Russian Federation who have Russian citizenship for less than 10 years to do compulsory military service for a year for people from Central Asian countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan,” council member Kirill Kabanov wrote on Telegram Thursday.

“Refusal to perform military duty should entail the deprivation of Russian citizenship not only for a person liable for military service, but also for members of his family,” he added.

Controversy in Russia

In his speech, Putin said those with military experience would be subject to conscription, and stressed that the accompanying decree – which was already signed – was necessary to “protect our homeland, its sovereignty and its territorial integrity.”

But the decree appears to allow for wider mobilization than he suggested in his speech. Ekaterina Schulmann, a Russian political scientist and associate fellow at the Chatham House think tank, said on Telegram that while the decree “describes the mobilization as partial,” it “sets no parameters of this partiality, either territorial or categoric.”

“According to this text, anyone can be called up except for those working in the military-industrial complex who are exempt for the period of their employment. The fact that the mobilization applies only to reservists or those with some particularly necessary skills is mentioned in the address, but not in the decree.”

Russian human rights lawyer Pavel Chikov said that the decree sets out mobilization “in the broadest terms.”

“The president is leaving it at the Defense Minister’s discretion. So in fact it is the Russian Defense Ministry that will decide who will be sent to war, from where and in what numbers,” Chikov said on Telegram.

Following the speech, at least 1,300 people were detained across Russia on Wednesday for participating in nationwide anti-war protests – with some directly conscripted into the military, according to a monitoring group, after leader Vladimir Putin announced a “partial mobilization” of citizens for his faltering invasion of Ukraine.

Images and videos show police cracking down on demonstrators in multiple cities, with footage showing several protesters at a demonstration in central Moscow being carried away by the police and authorities in St. Petersburg attempting to contain a crowd chanting “no mobilization” outside Isakiivskiy Cathedral.

Police detained the protesters across 38 cities in Russia on Wednesday, according to figures released shortly after midnight by independent monitoring group OVD-Info. The group’s spokeswoman Maria Kuznetsova told CNN by phone that at at least four police stations in Moscow, some of the protesters arrested by riot police were being drafted directly into Russia’s military.

One of the detainees has been threatened with prosecution for refusing to be drafted, she said. The government has said that punishment for refusing the draft is now 15 years in jail. Of the more than 1,300 people detained nationwide, more than 500 were in Moscow and more than 520 in St. Petersburg, according to OVD-Info.

Just over half the detained protesters whose names were made public are women, OVD-Info also said, making it the biggest anti-government protest by share of women in recent history. The watchdog specified the full scale of the arrests remains unknown, however.

Nine journalists and 33 minors are also among the detained, it said, adding that one of the minors was “brutally beaten” by law enforcement.

The specter of nuclear weapons

Putin also raised the specter of nuclear weapons in his address, saying he would use “all the means at our disposal,” if he deemed the “territorial integrity” of Russia to be jeopardized. He also endorsed referenda on joining Russia that Russian-appointed leaders in four occupied regions of Ukraine announced they would hold this week.

Concern among Russian citizens was palpable on Wednesday, with travel agency websites showing a dramatic increase in the demand for flights to places where Russians do not need a visa. Flight sale websites indicate direct flights to such countries sold out through Friday at least.

On Thursday, a spokesperson for the European Commission acknowledged that there had been numerous requests by Russian citizens hoping to enter European Union countries. They said that the EU is planning to establish a joint position on the matter.

The European Commission also noted that, for now, each member state will need to assess entry requests on a case-by-case basis, adding that external border management of the EU must be carried out in line with EU law and comply with “fundamental rights and all of the legislation in place for asylum procedures.”

Riot police detain a demonstrator during an anti-war protest in Moscow, Russia on September 21. Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP

The protests in Russia, most of which appeared to have attracted a few dozen people, were another strong signal of the desperation felt by some. Dissent is typically swiftly crushed in Russia and authorities have placed further constraints on free speech following the invasion of Ukraine.

Footage from social media showed several protesters in Ulan Ude in eastern Siberia carrying signs reading “No to war! No to mobilization!” and “Our husbands, fathers, and brothers do not want to kill other husbands and fathers!”

“We want our fathers, husbands, and brothers to remain alive … and not to leave their children as orphans. Stop the war and don’t take our people!” one protester said.

Video from Yekaterinburg in western Russia showed police scuffling with several protesters. CNN could not independently verify the footage from either city.

Another video posted by a journalist from the Moscow internet publication The Village shows dozens of people in Arbatskaya street chanting “Let him go” as one man is carried away.

The Moscow prosecutor’s office on Wednesday also warned citizens against joining protests or distributing information calling for participation – reminding people that they could face up to 15 years in jail.

When asked on Thursday about reports of people detained at anti-war rallies being handed subpoenas for military conscription, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the practice “is not against the law. There is no violation of the law here.”

‘Russia wants war’

Putin’s announcement was condemned Wednesday by Western leaders, many of whom were meeting at the opening of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.

In a rare joint statement, UK Prime Minister Liz Truss and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, said that both agree Putin’s announcement of a partial mobilization of Russian citizens is a sign of “weakness.”

European Union foreign ministers agreed in New York to push forward with a new round of sanctions against Russia, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters.

Ukraine remained defiant in the face of Putin’s announcement, with President Volodymyr Zelensky telling the UNGA in a pre-recorded address Wednesday that Russia was “afraid of real (peace) negotiations,” and pointing to what he characterized as Russian “lies.”

Russia “talks about the talks but announces a military mobilization,” Zelensky said. “Russia wants war.”

On Thursday, German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said that Putin’s “partial mobilization” only strengthens the country’s support for Ukraine. French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu said his country would continue its support for Ukraine in terms of arms and training, but added that France needed cooperation within NATO to do so.

Meanwhile, analysis by researchers from the Institute for the Study of War said that the move won’t have a marked impact on the war’s immediate outcome.

The analysis said that it would take weeks or months to bring reservists up to combat readiness, that Russian reservists are “poorly trained to begin with,” and that the “deliberate phases” of deployment outlined by Russia’s defense minister are likely to preclude “any sudden influx of Russian forces that could dramatically shift the tide of the war.”

Simone Mccarthy Matthew Chance Tim Lister Anna Chernova Mick Krever

China Covid: Protests erupt in unprecedented challenge to Xi ...

Beijing CNN —

Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Monday faced unprecedented dissent after thousands of demonstrators protested in cities across China over the weekend against his zero-Covid strategy – with some daring to openly call for his removal in the streets.

“Step down, Xi Jinping! Step down, Communist Party!” some protesters yelled among hundreds who gathered in the financial hub Shanghai – one of multiple major cities where protests broke out following a deadly fire Thursday at an apartment block in the far western region of Xinjiang.

The fire appeared to act as a catalyst for searing public anger over China’s strict zero-Covid measures after videos emerged that seemed to suggest lockdown measures delayed firefighters from reaching the victims.

Hear protesters in China call for Xi Jinping's resignation 02:05 - Source: CNN

From Shanghai to the capital Beijing, residents gathered to grieve the 10 people killed in the blaze in Xinjiang’s capital Urumqi, speak out against zero-Covid and call for freedom and democracy. On dozens of university campuses, students demonstrated or put up protest posters. In many parts of the country, residents in locked-down neighborhoods tore down barriers and took to the streets, following mass anti-lockdown protests that swept Urumqi on Friday night.

Such widespread scenes of anger and defiance – some of which stretched into the early hours of Monday morning – are exceptionally rare in China, where the ruling Communist Party ruthlessly cracks down on all expressions of dissent. But three years into the pandemic, many people have been pushed to the brink by the government’s incessant use of lockdowns, Covid tests and quarantines – as well as ever-tightening censorship and continued onslaught on personal freedoms.

The ratcheting-up of restrictions in recent months, coupled with a series of heartbreaking deaths blamed on an over-zealous policing of the controls, has brought matters to a head.

He fully supported China's zero-Covid policy. Hear why he changed his mind 03:30 - Source: CNN

Chinese stock markets and the yuan tumbled in early trade Monday amid concern about the government’s potential response to the protests, which varied from city to city and in some areas became more heavy-handed as the weekend progressed.

At a news conference Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian deflected questions about the protests and claimed that social media posts linking the Xinjiang fire with Covid policies had “ulterior motives.”

Authorities had been “making adjustments based on realities on the ground,” he said. When asked about protesters calling on Xi to step down, he replied: “I’m not aware of the situation you mentioned.”

Though the protests made headlines in international media, Chinese state media carried stories and opinion pieces stressing the severity of the Covid outbreak and the need to persevere with methods to stamp it out.

“Practices have proven that our Covid measures can stand the test of history, they are scientific and effective,” said an opinion piece published by the Xinhua news agency on Monday. “Perseverance prevails.”

But the challenge to zero-Covid posed by the spread of more contagious variants was underlined Monday when China reported 40,052 new local cases – the sixth consecutive day of record figures, according to the National Health Commission.

Nearly 4,000 of those infections were identified in Beijing, where – without referring to the protests – city authorities on Sunday banned blocking entrances to residential compounds under lockdown, adding that access must be granted to emergency services.

Protests in Shanghai

Demonstrators stand by protest signs in Shanghai, China, on Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022. AP

Brewing anger over the fire deaths led to remarkable acts of defiance in Shanghai, where many of its 25 million residents hold deep resentment toward the government’s zero-Covid policy after being subjected to a two-month lockdown in the spring.

Late on Saturday night, hundreds of residents gathered for a candlelight vigil on Urumqi Road, which was named after the city, to mourn the victims of the Xinjiang fire, according to videos widely circulated – and promptly censored – on Chinese social media and a witness account.

Surrounding a makeshift memorial of candles, flowers and placards, the crowd held up blank sheets of white paper – in what is traditionally a symbolic protest against censorship – and chanted, “Need human rights, need freedom.”

Why protesters in China are holding up white paper 01:32 - Source: CNN

In multiple videos seen by CNN, people could be heard shouting demands for Xi and the Communist Party to “step down.” The crowd also chanted, “Don’t want Covid test, want freedom!” and “Don’t want dictatorship, want democracy!”

Some videos show people singing China’s national anthem and The Internationale, a standard of the socialist movement, while holding banners protesting the country’s exceptionally stringent pandemic measures.

Rows of police officers, who initially looked on from the outside, started to move in to push back and divide the crowd around 3 a.m., sparking tense face-offs with the protesters, according to a witness.

The witness told CNN they saw several people arrested and taken into a police vehicle next to the makeshift memorial after 4.30 a.m. They also saw several protesters being grabbed by the officers from the crowd and taken behind the police line. The protest gradually dispersed before dawn, the witness said.

On Sunday afternoon, hundreds of Shanghai residents returned to the site to continue protesting despite a heavy police presence and road blocks.

Videos showed hundreds of people at an intersection shouting “Release the people!” in a demand for the police to free detained demonstrators.

Crowds shouting "Release the people!" in Shanghai. @whyyoutouzhele/Twitter

This time around, police adopted a more hardline approach, moving faster and more aggressively to make arrests and disperse the crowds.

In one video, a man holding a bundle of chrysanthemum gave a speech while walking on a pedestrian crossing, as a police officer tried to stop him.

“We need to be braver! Am I breaking the law by holding flowers?” he asked the crowd, who shouted “No!” in reply.

“We Chinese need to be braver!” he said to the applause of the crowd. “So many of us were arrested yesterday. Are they without job or without family? We should not be afraid!”

The man put up a struggle as more than a dozen officers forced him into a police car, as the angry crowd shouted “Release him!” and rushed toward the vehicle.

Other videos show chaotic scenes of police pushing, dragging and beating protesters.

In the evening, after one protester was violently dragged away, hundreds of people shouted “triads” at the police, in reference to local crime gangs, according to a livestream.

BBC journalist Edward Lawrence was arrested at the scene of the Shanghai protests on Sunday night and later released, according to a statement from the BBC. A BBC spokesperson expressed concern about Lawrence’s treatment, claiming he was “beaten and kicked by the police.”

On Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao acknowledged Lawrence’s arrest, claiming he had not identified himself as a journalist before being detained.

Police officers block Shanghai's Urumqi Road on Sunday. Hector Retamal/AFP/Getty Images

Demonstration spreads

By Sunday evening, mass demonstrations had spread to Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou and Wuhan, where thousands of residents called for not only an end to Covid restrictions, but more remarkably, political freedoms.

In Beijing, hundreds of mostly young people demonstrated in the commercial heart of the city well into the small hours of Monday. A small crowd first gathered along the Liangma River for a vigil for the victims of the Xinjiang fire, before it grew in size and eventually marched down the city’s Third Ring Road.

People chanted slogans against zero-Covid, voiced support for the detained protesters in Shanghai, and called for greater civil liberties. “We want freedom! We want freedom!” the crowd chanted under an overpass.

A Beijing protester holds a candal in demonstrations on Sunday night. Ng Han Guan/AP

Speaking to CNN’s Selina Wang at the protest, a demonstrator said he was shocked by the turnout.

“Every conscientious Chinese should be here. They don’t have to voice their opinions, but I hope they can stand with us,” he said.

In the southwestern metropolis of Chengdu, large crowds demonstrated along the bustling river banks in a popular food and shopping district, according to a protester interviewed by CNN and videos circulating online.

The gathering started with a minute of silence to mourn the Xinjiang fire victims, later turning political as the crowd grew in size, numbering into the hundreds.

“Opposition to dictatorship!” the crowd chanted. “We don’t want lifelong rulers. We don’t want emperors!” they shouted in a thinly veiled reference to Xi, who last month began a norm-shattering third term in office.

Protesters hold up blank papers and chant slogans as they march in protest in Beijing on Sunday night. Ng Han Guan/AP

In the southern city of Guangzhou, hundreds gathered on a public square in Haizhu district – the epicenter of the city’s ongoing Covid outbreak that has been locked down for weeks.

“We don’t want lockdowns, we want freedom! Freedom of expression, freedom of the press, freedom of arts, freedom of movement, personal freedoms. Give me back my freedom!” The crowd shouted.

University campuses

Across China, protests have also broken out on university campuses – which are particularly politically sensitive to the Communist Party, given the history of the student-led Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests in 1989.

In the early hours of Sunday morning, about 100 students gathered around a protest slogan painted on a wall at the prestigious Peking University in Beijing. A student told CNN that when he arrived at the scene at around 1 a.m., security guards were using jackets to cover the protest sign.

A security guard tries to cover a protest slogan against zero-Covid on the campus of Peking University in Beijing. Obtained by CNN

“Say no to lockdown, yes to freedom. No to Covid test, yes to food,” read the message written in red paint, echoing the slogan of a protest that took place on a Beijing overpass in October, just days before a key Communist Party meeting at which Xi secured a third term in power.

“Open your eyes and look at the world, dynamic zero-Covid is a lie,” the protest slogan at Peking University read.

The student said security guards later covered the slogan with black paint.

Students at the Communication University of China, Nanjing gather in a vigil on Saturday evening to mourn the victims of the Xinjiang fire. @whyyoutouzhele/Twitter

Students later gathered to sing the The Internationale before being dispersed by teachers and security guards.

In the eastern province of Jiangsu, at least dozens of students from Communication University of China, Nanjing gathered on Saturday evening to mourn those who died in the Xinjiang fire. Videos show the students holding up sheets of white paper and mobile phone flashlights.

In one video, a university official could be heard warning the students: “You will pay for what you did today.”

Hundreds of students at Tsinghua University in Beijing gathered on Sunday to protest against zero-Covid and censorship. Obtained by CNN

“You too, and so will the country,” a student shouted in reply.

The campus protests continued on Sunday. At Tsinghua University, another elite university in Beijing, hundreds of students gathered on a square to protest against zero-Covid and censorship.

Videos and images circulating on social media show students holding up sheets of white paper and shouting: “Democracy and rule of law! Freedom of expression!”

Paris shooting: Police fire teargas to quell protesters after three ...

CNN —

French police on Friday fired teargas amid clashes with agitated protesters outside a Kurdish community center in the heart of Paris, where a gunman earlier killed three people and injured four others in an attack with possible racist underpinnings.

All three people killed inside and near the Kurdish Cultural Center Ahmet-Kaya on Rue d’Enghien were Kurds, the center’s lawyer confirmed to CNN.

The suspected attacker, a 69-year-old French man with a long criminal record, has been arrested.

He was not part of any far-right groups monitored by the police, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin told journalists at the scene. “He (the suspect) clearly wanted to take it out on foreigners,” Darmanin said.

Clashes with dozens of protesters, mostly from the Kurdish diaspora, broke out during Darmanin’s visit to the site of the attack on Friday.

Police fired tear gas to disperse an increasingly agitated crowd in central Paris, soon after a gunman killed three Kurdish people during a shooting at a community center. Lewis Joly/AP

While the shooting has not been designated a terrorist attack, Paris Prosecutor Laure Beccuau said earlier on Friday that investigators are not ruling out possible “racist motivations” behind the shooting.

“When it comes to racist motivations, of course these elements are part of the investigation that was just launched,” Beccuau said.

French President Emmanuel Macron deplored the “heinous attack” where “the Kurds of France have been the target,” in a Twitter post on Thursday.

Following the incident, crowds gathered near the community center. Kiran Ridley/Getty Images

“My thoughts to the victims, to the people who are fighting to live, to their families and loved ones. My gratitude to our law enforcement forces for their courage and calmness,” Macron said.

Police in Paris and across France have been ordered to protect Kurdish sites and Turkish diplomatic institutions following the attack, according to Darmanin.

He has also asked the French president and prime minister to allow Kurdish people, who want to hold demonstrations, to do so.

Previous record

The shooting suspect was released from detention less than two weeks ago as a court is still investigating his previous involvement in violence with a “racist nature,” the Paris prosecutor’s office said in a statement.

He was convicted twice, in 2017 and 2022, for committing gun violence. An investigation was also launched by a Paris court in 2021 for violence “with a racist nature,” according to the statement.

Emergency services attended the scene of the shooting, where a gunman opened fire at the Kurdish Cultural Center Ahmet-Kaya in Paris. Lewis Joly/AP

The last incident led to his getting put under pre-trial detention while the court conducts an investigation.

“At this stage, there is no evidence that this man is affiliated with any extremist ideological movement,” the statement said.

Following the incident, crowds gathered near the center, where people of Kurdish descent were heard chanting the Kurdish phrase “Şehid Namirin,” which means: Those who are lost are never really lost but with us, according to CNN’s team on the ground.

Darmanin called on the French president and prime minister to allow Kurdish people who wanted to protest, following the fatal shooting. Thomas Samson/AFP/Getty Images

Some people were also heard chanting “Murderer Erdogan,” in a reference to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s robust stance against Kurdish nationalism, and his policies towards Kurdish far-left militant and political groups based in Turkey and Iraq.

In the aftermath of the attack, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed his “deepest sympathies” to Kurdish people in France in a post on Twitter. “My thoughts are with the members of the Kurdish community and people of France on this sad day,” Blinken added.

In 2013, three Kurdish political activists were killed in central Paris, including the founding member of the Kurdish Workers’ Party. All three women were shot in the head in the apparent assassination.

Xiaofei Xu Niamh Kennedy Joseph Ataman Mohammed Tawfeeq

Kazakhstan detains former head of national security as Putin and ...

CNN —

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and his Kazakh counterpart Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Saturday discussed restoring “order” in Kazakhstan following days of violence and unrest, as several high-profile officials were detained on suspicion of treason.

Tokayev told Putin the situation in his country was “progressing on the way to stabilization” and expressed his “appreciation” for the deployment of a Russia-led military bloc to Kazakhstan to try and control violence on the streets, the Kremlin said in a statement on Saturday.

Meanwhile, former head of Kazakhstan’s National Security Committee Karim Massimov and some other unnamed officials have been detained on suspicion of treason, the country’s National Security Committee announced, according to state media Khabar 24 on Saturday.

Local residents stand shoulder to shoulder with police officers at Sultan City Hall in Nur-Sultan on January 8. Chine Nouvelle/Sipa/Shutterstock

In this image taken from footage provided by Russian television, a Kazakh soldier stands atop of a military vehicle at a check point on Friday, January 7. RU-RTR Russian Television via AP

Violent protests in Kazakhstan in recent days have seen the government resign and the declaration of a state of emergency as troops from a Russia-led military alliance head to the Central Asian country to help quell the unrest. Dozens have been killed, hundreds injured and thousands of protesters detained.

It’s the biggest challenge yet to autocratic Tokayev’s rule, with initial public anger over a spike in fuel prices expanding to wider discontent with the government over corruption, living standards, poverty and unemployment in the oil-rich, former Soviet nation, human rights organizations report.

On January 5, protesters reportedly stormed the airport in the country’s biggest city, Almaty, forcibly entered government buildings, and set fire to the city’s main administration office, local media reported. There were also reports of deadly clashes with police and military, a nationwide internet blackout and buildings damaged in three major cities.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin speaks with Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev during their meeting in Moscow on August 21, 2021. Mikhail Klimentyev/Sputnik/AFP/Getty Images

Karim Massimov, former chairman of the National Security Council of Kazakhstan pictured in Beijing, China, 2019. Kenzaburo Fukuhara/Pool/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

The violence continued into the following day, with dozens of protesters killed and hundreds injured, according to an Almaty police official. Security forces reportedly fired on protesters and explosions were heard close to Republic Square in Almaty, Russian state news agency TASS reported.

In a read-out of Tokayev’s call with Putin on Saturday, Tokayev reportedly told Putin that the situation in the country is stabilizing but “hotbeds of terrorist attacks persist. Therefore, the fight against terrorism will continue with all decisiveness.”

‘Kill without warning’

Tokayev declared January 10 a day of national mourning for the victims of violent protests, his press office announced Saturday.

As of January 7, a total of 18 law enforcement personnel had been killed in the violence and 748 injured, state television Khabar 24 reported, quoting the Interior Ministry. According to the state broadcaster, 26 “armed criminals” have been killed and 18 injured, and more than 3,000 protesters have been detained during unrest across the country.

The Kazakh president “signed an order declaring January 10, a day of national mourning in Kazakhstan in connection with the human victims as a result of the terrorist acts in the country,” the press office said on Twitter.

It comes after the leader said Friday he had ordered security forces to “kill without warning” to crush the violent protests that have paralyzed the former Soviet republic.

In a defiant public address, Tokayev claimed the unrest, which began earlier this week as protests against rising fuel prices, had been masterminded by well-trained “terrorist bandits” from both inside and outside the country. CNN has not corroborated any claims made by the government or president defending their use of violence and excessive force against the protesters.

Flurry of rumors

Kazakhstan’s former president Nursultan Nazarbayev remains in the country, his press secretary said on Twitter Saturday following rumors that he had left amid the violence.

His press secretary Aidos Ukibai said the longtime leader remains in the capital city, Nursultan, without offering evidence.

“The leader of the nation remains in the capital of Kazakhstan, Nur-Sultan city. We ask you not to disseminate false information. Leader of the nation is holding consultations and is direct line with the President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev,” Ukibai said.

People walk past cars that were burned after clashes, on a street in Almaty, Kazakhstan on Friday, January 7. Vasily Krestyaninov/AP

Ukibai said Nazarbayev had held several phone calls with the leaders of countries friendly to Kazakhstan.

“The leader of the nation calls to unite around President of Kazakhstan to overcome current challenges and to ensure safety in the country,” he added.

It comes after Tokayev said in a televised address on Wednesday that he had taken over from Nazarbayev as head of the country’s Security Council.

Earlier this week a statue of Nazarbayev was torn down by protesters in the town of Taldykorgan, in the country’s southeast Almaty region.

Prime Minister Askar Mamin resigned amid the protests. Alikhan Smailov was appointed acting prime minister, and members of the government will continue to serve until the formation of the new cabinet, according to a statement published on the presidential website Wednesday.

Nazarbayev announced his resignation as president in March 2019, after nearly three decades in office. The former Communist Party official was the last of the leaders who were running the 15 Soviet republics when the USSR collapsed in 1991.

The country’s capital was named after him following his resignation.

Nazarbayev ran Kazakhstan as a typical autocrat: The State Department’s 2018 human rights report noted Kazakhstan’s 2015 presidential election, in which Nazarbayev received 98% of votes cast, “was marked by irregularities and lacked genuine political competition.”

Olga Pavlova Duarte Mendonca
Olga Pavlova
Duarte Mendonca

China zero-Covid: As anger rises and tragedies mount, Beijing ...

A version of this story appeared in CNN’s Meanwhile in China newsletter, a three-times-a-week update exploring what you need to know about the country’s rise and how it impacts the world. Sign up here.

Beijing CNN —

Zhou, an auto dealer in northeastern China, last saw his father alive in a video chat on the afternoon of November 1, hours after their home on the far outskirts of Beijing was locked down.

At the time, they didn’t even realize the snap Covid restrictions had been imposed – there was no warning beforehand, and the apartment building where Zhou’s parents and his 10-year-old son lived did not have any cases, he said.

The family found out the hard way, when Zhou’s father was denied immediate emergency medical help after he suddenly began struggling to breathe during the video call. Zhou and his son made a dozen calls for an ambulance, he said, claiming security guards blocked relatives from entering the building to take the 58-year-old grandfather to a hospital.

An hour later, an ambulance finally arrived to drive Zhou’s father to a hospital just five minutes away. But it was too late to save him.

“The local government killed my dad,” Zhou told CNN in his Beijing home, breaking down in tears. He said he’s received no explanation about why the ambulance took so long to arrive, just a death certificate stating the wrong date of death.

Zhou’s anger is part of a growing torrent of dissent toward China’s unrelenting zero-Covid lockdowns, which officials insist are necessary to protect people’s lives against a virus that, according to the official count, has killed just six people from tens of thousands of symptomatic cases reported in the last six months.

But increasingly, the restrictions – not the virus – are being blamed for heartbreaking deaths that have sparked nationwide outrage on social media.

He fully supported China's zero-Covid policy. Hear why he changed his mind 03:30 - Source: CNN

On the same day Zhou lost his father, a 3-year-old boy died of gas poisoning in a locked-down compound in the northwestern city of Lanzhou, after he was blocked from being taken promptly to a hospital. Two weeks later, a 4-month-old girl died in hotel quarantine in the central city of Zhengzhou after a 12-hour delay in medical care.

Many more families, like Zhou’s, have likely suffered similar tragedies outside the social media spotlight.

Zhou said he contacted several state media outlets in Beijing to report on his story, but no reporters came. Amid growing desperation and anger, he turned to foreign media – despite knowing the risk of repercussions from the government. CNN is only using his surname to mitigate that risk.

“I just want to get justice for my dad. Why did you lock us down? Why did you take my dad’s life away?” he said.

Workers erect metal barriers outside a community under lockdown in Beijing on November 24. Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

Growing discontent

Across China, anger and frustration with zero-Covid has reached new heights and led to rare scenes of protest, as local authorities rushed to reintroduce restrictions amid record infections – despite a recent government announcement of a limited easing of some rules.

Last week, in the southern city of Guangzhou, some residents revolted against an extended lockdown by tearing down barriers and marching down streets.

In the central city of Zhengzhou this week, workers at the world’s biggest iPhone assembly factory clashed with hazmat-suited security officers over a delay in bonus payment and chaotic Covid rules.

And on Thursday, in the sprawling metropolis of Chongqing in the southwest, a resident delivered a searing speech criticizing the Covid lockdown on his residential compound. “Without freedom, I would rather die!” he shouted to a cheering crowd, who hailed him a “hero” and wrestled him from the grip of several police officers who had attempted to take him away.

These acts of defiance echoed an outpouring of discontent online, notably from Chinese football fans – many under some form of lockdown or restrictions – who have only been able to watch from home as tens of thousands of raucous fans pack stadiums at the World Cup in Qatar.

“None of the fans are seen wearing face masks, or told to submit proof of Covid test results. Are they not living on the same planet as us?” asked a Wechat article questioning China’s insistence on zero-Covid, which went viral before it was censored.

There are signs that Chinese officials are feeling the heat of the growing public discontent, which came on top of the heavy social and economic tolls inflicted by the widening lockdowns.

Earlier this month, the Chinese government released a 20-point guideline to limit the disruption of zero-Covid rules on daily life and the economy. It shortened quarantine from 10 to eight days for close contacts of infected people and for inbound travelers. It also scrapped quarantine requirements for secondary contacts, discouraged unnecessary mass testing drives and removed a major restriction on international flights.

The announcement had raised hopes of a pivot toward reopening, triggering a rally of Chinese stocks. But a surge in infections as China heads into its fourth winter of the pandemic is quickly dampening such hopes. On Friday, the country reported a record 32,695 local cases, as infections for a second straight day surpassed the previous peak recorded in April during Shanghai’s months-long lockdown.

Hazmat-suited Covid workers help delivery drivers drop goods for residents under lockdown in Beijing on November 24. Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

What reopening?

Instead of relaxing controls, many local officials are reverting to the zero-tolerance playbook, attempting to stamp out infections as soon as they flare up.

Some of the cities that dropped mass testing requirements following the announcement are already tightening other Covid restrictions.

The northern city of Shijiazhuang was among the first to cancel mass testing. It also allowed students to return to schools after a long period of online classes. But as cases rose over the weekend, authorities reimposed a lockdown on Monday, telling residents to stay home.

Video captures the harsh reality of China's zero-Covid strategy 03:28 - Source: CNN

On Tuesday, financial hub Shanghai banned anyone arriving in the city from entering venues including shopping malls, restaurants, supermarkets and gyms for five days. Authorities also shut down cultural and entertainment venues in half of the city.

In Guangzhou, officials this week extended the lockdown on Haizhu district – where the protest took place – for the fifth time, and locked down its most populous Baiyun district.

Zhengzhou, home to the Foxconn factory where workers clashed with police, imposed a five-day lockdown on its main urban districts.

People ride bikes on an empty street near Beijing's central business district on November 24. Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

In Beijing, streets in its largest district of Chaoyang are largely empty as authorities urged residents to stay home and ordered businesses to shut. Schools across several districts also moved to online classes this week.

Low vaccination rates among China’s elderly have led to fears that a loosening of restrictions could overwhelm the country’s health system. As of November 11, about two-thirds of people age 80 and older had received two doses, and only 40% had received a booster shot.

Yanzhong Huang, a senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations, said the re-tightening of Covid controls reflected a typical public policy dilemma in China: “If you relax the policy, there will be chaos; but if you tighten up, it will be stifling.”

Huang said he does not expect any fundamental changes to the zero-Covid policy in the short term. “Because the local governments’ incentive structure has not been changed. They are still held accountable for the Covid situation in their jurisdiction,” he said.

For their part, Chinese officials have repeatedly denied that the 20 measures listed in the government guidelines were meant for a pivot to living with the virus.

The measures are about “optimizing” existing Covid prevention and control policy, Shen Hongbing, a disease control official, told a news conference last week. “They are not an easing (of control), let alone reopening or ‘lying flat’,” he said.

Back on the outskirts of Beijing, Zhou said while the zero-Covid policy “is beneficial to the majority,” its implementation at a local level had been too draconian.

“I don’t want things like this to happen again in China and anywhere in the world,” he said. “I lost my father. My son lost his beloved grandfather. I’m furious now.”

Selina Wang Nectar Gan
Selina Wang
Nectar Gan

Belarus election: Protestor dies in second night of clash with ...

YURAS KARMANAU

Associated Press

MINSK, Belarus (AP) — A protester died amid clashes between police and thousands of people gathered for a second straight night Monday in Belarus after official results from weekend elections — dismissed by the opposition as a sham — gave an overwhelming victory to authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko.

Interior Ministry spokesman Alexander Lastovsky said the victim was part of a crowd of people protesting results of Sunday’s presidential vote. The protester intended to throw an explosive device, but it blew up in his hand and killed him, Lastovsky said.

The death came amid demonstrations in at least four areas of Minsk that met with a harsh response from police who tried to disperse protesters with flash-bang grenades and rubber bullets. Near the Pushkinskaya subway station, some 3,000 protesters tried to build barricades.

Lukashenko's hardline rule began in 1994 and his victory would extend it until 2025. He derided the opposition as “sheep” manipulated by foreign masters.

Dozens were injured and thousands detained hours after Sunday's vote, when police brutally broke up mostly young protesters with tear gas, water cannons and beat them with truncheons. Rights activists said one person died after being run over by a police truck — which authorities denied.

Election officials said Lukashenko won a sixth term in office with 80% of the vote, while opposition challenger Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya got 10%. Tsikhanouskaya submitted a formal request for a recount to the Central Election Commission.

After submitting the request, both Tsikhanouskaya and her spokeswoman remained unreachable. Upon leaving the commission’s headquarters she said, “I have made a decision, I must be with my children.”

It was unclear if her statement meant that she was heading abroad to reunite with her children, whom she had earlier sent to an unspecified European country after receiving threats.

On Monday evening, scattered groups of opposition supporters began gathering in downtown Minsk, chanting “Freedom!” and “Long live Belarus!” A heavy police contingent blocked central squares and avenues, moving quickly to disperse protesters and detained dozens.

Later, about 1,000 protesters gathered near a big shopping mall in downtown Minsk before being dispersed by police. The Viasna rights group said protesters also gathered in several other Belarusian cities, including Brest, Mogilev and Vitebsk, where detentions also took place.

The police crackdown drew harsh criticism from European capitals and will likely complicate Lukashenko’s efforts to mend ties with the West amid tensions with his main ally and sponsor, Russia.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement that the election was not “free and fair” and added: “We strongly condemn ongoing violence against protesters and the detention of opposition supporters.”

Lukashenko, whose iron-fisted rule since 1994 has fueled growing discontent in the ex-Soviet nation of 9.5 million, warned that he wouldn’t hesitate to use force again. He argued that the protesters met a due response overnight after injuring dozens of police officers and attempting to take control of official buildings in several Belarusian cities.

“We will not allow them to tear the country apart," he said.

The 65-year-old former state farm director asserted that the opposition was being directed from Poland and the Czech Republic, adding that some groups in Ukraine and Russia could also have been behind the protests.

“They are directing the (opposition) headquarters where those sheep don't understand what they want from them,” he said in a dismissive reference to Tsikhanouskaya and her campaign.

Czech Foreign Minister Tomas Petricek dismissed Lukashenko's claim, saying his country has not organized any protests.

The Interior Ministry said 89 people were injured during the protests late Sunday and early Monday, including 39 law enforcement officers, and about 3,000 people were detained, some 1,000 of them in Minsk.

Tsikhanouskaya, a 37-year-old former English teacher without any prior political experience, entered the race after her husband, an opposition blogger who had hoped to run for president, was arrested in May. She has managed to unite fractured opposition groups and draw tens of thousands to her campaign rallies — the largest opposition demonstrations since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.

“We don’t agree with (election results), we have absolutely opposite information,” Tsikhanouskaya told The Associated Press on Monday. “We have official protocols from many poll stations, where the number of votes in my favor are many more times than for another candidate."

The coronavirus-induced economic damage and Lukashenko's swaggering response to the pandemic, which he airily dismissed as “psychosis,” has fueled broad anger, helping swell the opposition ranks. The post-election protest, in which young demonstrators — many of them teenagers — confronted police, marked a previously unseen level of violence.

Internet and mobile networks went down after the polls closed as authorities tried to make it more difficult for protesters to coordinate.

“The more they beat us, the less we believe in the official results,” said Denis Golubev, a 28-year-old IT specialist who joined the protests.

The European Union condemned the police crackdown and called for an immediate release of all those detained.

In a joint statement, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and the EU commissioner responsible for relations with Europe’s close neighbors, Oliver Varhelyi, lamented that “the election night was marred with disproportionate and unacceptable state violence against peaceful protesters.”

Belarus' EU and NATO neighbors, Poland and Lithuania, also issued strong rebukes. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki called on European Union’s leaders to convene an extraordinary summit to support the Belarusian people's democratic aspirations.

The U.K. Foreign Office also urged Belarusian authorities to “refrain from further acts of violence following the seriously flawed presidential elections.”

In the early 2000s, the United States and the European Union slapped sanctions against Lukashenko's government, but they lifted most of the penalties in recent years after Lukashenko freed political prisoners and allowed some opposition protests.

The Trump Adminsitration has recently sought to improve long-strained ties with Lukashenko, who some officials believe could be a valuable partner in countering Russian influence in eastern and central Europe. In early February, Pompeo became the first U.S. chief diplomat in more than 25 years to travel to Belarus, and offered to sell U.S. oil and gas to the country to reduce its dependence on Russian energy.

The administration has also nominated an ambassador to Belarus who, if confirmed, would be the first to the country since 2008.

Throughout his tenure, Lukashenko has tried to exert pressure on the Kremlin with the prospect of normalizing ties with the West in a bid to win more Russian subsidies. But the violent crackdown now appears likely to derail Lukashenko's hopes for those ties as Russia exerts pressure on its small neighbor.

Moscow this year cut supplies of cheap oil to Belarusian refineries, depriving the country of an estimated $700 million in revenues from oil product exports. Russia-Belarus ties were further strained last week, when Belarusian law enforcement agencies arrested 33 Russian private military contractors and accused them of planning to stage “mass riots."

Moscow has rejected the charges. Russian President Vladimir Putin called Lukashenko Friday to mend the rift, and quickly congratulated him Monday on winning the vote. The Belarusian leader also received congratulations from Chinese President Xi Jinping and heads of several ex-Soviet nations.

Associated Press journalists Jim Heintz, Vladimir Isachenkov and Daria Litvinova in Moscow, Lorne Cook in Brussels, Matthew Lee in Washington, Danica Kirka in London, Vanessa Gera in Warsaw, Frank Jordans in Berlin and Karel Janicek in Prague contributed to this story.

The Latest: Celebrations in Iceland after famous draw

AP

PARIS (AP) — The Latest from soccer's European Championship (all times local):

___

11:25 p.m.

There was unrestrained joy in Iceland's capital Reykjavik on Tuesday evening at Iceland's draw with Portugal. Thorir Gudmundsson told The Associated Press from Iceland that 3,000 people - one percent of the country's population - watched the game on a giant screen in downtown Reykjavik.

"The area is packed with people whose faces are painted red, white and blue," he said. "Strangers embracing and singing and dancing."

Iceland is the smallest country by population to qualify for the European Championship.

____

10:51 p.m.

Birkir Bjarnason volleyed in the equalizing goal to help Iceland hold Portugal to a 1-1 draw Tuesday at the European Championship.

Portugal was the better team and had long spells of domination but wasted many good chances.

Nani put Portugal in front in the first half on a day Cristiano Ronaldo equaled Luis Figo's national team record of 127 appearances.

___

10:10 p.m.

Birkir Bjarnason curled in a shot at the far post to give Iceland an equalizer against Portugal at the European Championship. The teams are tied 1-1.

The goal was Iceland's first at a major tournament.

___

10:06 p.m.

GOAL: Birkir Bjarnason scores for Iceland in the 50th minute. Iceland and Portugal are tied 1-1.

___

10:00 p.m.

Two police trucks carrying Russian supporters have arrived at a Marseille police station where the fans are expected to be held overnight.

The Russians were detained earlier Tuesday near the southern city of Nice as they were heading by bus to Lille, where their team is playing Slovakia on Wednesday. England faces Wales the following day in nearby Lens.

A local official said earlier that a bus carrying 29 Russian fans was stopped by police after leaving a hotel near the Cote d'Azur town of Mandelieu-La Napoule. It was not immediately clear how many were taken to the Marseille police station.

Ariane Parachini, head of communications for the local authorities, said police stopped the fans to see whether any hooligans were among them. An unspecified number were taken to detention centers, a possible prelude to deportation.

The police action follows violent clashes between Russia and England fans in Marseille ahead of their teams' European Championship opener, a 1-1 draw on Saturday night.

___

9:46 p.m.

Nani gave Portugal a 1-0 halftime lead over Iceland at the European Championship with a clinical finish from close range in the 31st minute.

Starting in place of the injured Ricardo Quaresma, Nani collected a cross from Andre Gomes on the right side of the area and slotted in at the near post.

___

9:37 p.m.

Nani scored with a clinical finish from close range to give Portugal a 1-0 lead over Iceland at the European Championship.

Starting in place of the injured Ricardo Quaresma, Nani collected a cross from Andre Gomes on the right side of the area and slotted in at the near post.

___

9:31 p.m.

GOAL: Nani scores for Portugal in the 31st minute. Portugal leads Iceland 1-0.

___

8:25 p.m.

Cristiano Ronaldo will equal Luis Figo's Portugal record of 127 caps against Iceland when their European Championship campaign opens in Group F in Saint-Etienne.

With Ricardo Quaresma still recovering from a hamstring injury and left on the bench, the Real Madrid star will be partnered up front by Nani. Joao Moutinho will start at the tip of Portugal's diamond midfield.

There is no surprise in the Iceland's team either, with midfielders Gylfi Sigurdsson and Aron Gunnarsson being given starting roles in Lars Lagerback's team. Nantes striker Kolbeinn Sigthorsson leads the attack with Jon Dadi Bodvarsson.

___

8:15 p.m.

Here are the lineups for the match between Portugal and Iceland at Saint-Etienne in Group F:

Portugal: Rui Patricio, Pepe, Raphael Guerreiro, Ricardo Carvalho, Cristiano Ronaldo, Joao Moutinho, Joao Mario, Vieirinha, Danilo, Andre Gomes, Nani.

Iceland: Hannes Halldorsson, Birkir Saevarsson, Ragnar Sigurdsson, Johann Gudmundsson, Birkir Bjarnason, Kolbeinn Sigthorsson, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Kari Arnason, Jon Dadi Bodvarsson, Aron Gunnarsson, Ari Skulason.

___

7:57 p.m.

Romania coach Anghel Iordanescu was upset by a reporter's question when asked about a player who was said to have been smoking a cigarette during the loss to France.

Iordanescu called the reported a "liar" and said he was "misinforming people."

A Romanian newspaper reported that substitute Denis Alibec could not be found to warm up early in the second half because he was smoking in the locker room. Alibec eventually came on in the 61st minute.

Iordanescu, speaking through a translator at Parc des Princes, says "I don't defend Alibec. I think it is difficult to say what he really did, I was on the pitch."

Romania, which lost to France 2-1 on Friday, plays its second match at the Euroean Championship against Switzerland on Wednesday.

___

7:55 p.m.

Some scuffles have started in Lille, where English, Russian and Welsh fans are gathering ahead of European Championship matches in the northeastern French city and in nearby Lens.

At least one person was detained by police in Lille, which is on a direct rail line from London and Marseille. Russian and English fans clashed over the weekend in southern France.

Russia is scheduled to play Slovakia on Wednesday in Lille, while England is to play Wales on Thursday in Lens.

Russia has been threatened with disqualification by UEFA if its fans create any more violence at the team's next games.

___

7:52 p.m.

Adam Szalai scored his first goal in 12 appearances and Zoltan Stieber added another to help Hungary beat Austria 2-0 at the European Championship.

Szalai scored in the 62nd minute after playing a one-two with Laszlo Kleinheisler. He ran into the box to latch onto the return pass and shot under Austria goalkeeper Robert Almer.

Stieber added another in the 87th minute, about 20 minutes after Austria was reduced to 10 men. He ran from his own half onto a long ball and lifted it over the onrushing Almer.

Aleksandar Dragovic was shown a second yellow card and sent off in the 66th.

___

GOAL: Zoltan Stieber scores for Hungary in the 87th minute. Hungary leads Austria 2-0.

___

7:23 p.m.

RED CARD: Aleksandar Dragovic of Austria gets a second yellow card and is sent off in the 66th minute.

___

7:22 p.m.

Adam Szalai played a one-two with Hungary teammate Laszlo Kleinheisler, running into the box to latch onto the return pass and scoring under Austria goalkeeper Robert Almer.

Szalai raced over to celebrate with the Hungary fans.

___

7:19 p.m.

GOAL: Adam Szalai scores for Hungary in the 62nd minute. Hungary leads Austria 1-0.

___

6:48 p.m.

Austria and Hungary are even at 0-0 at halftime at the European Championship.

David Alaba has been at the heart of most of Austria's attacking moves. The Bayern Munich defender nearly put his team in the lead in the opening minute but his 25-yard shot hit the bottom of the right post.

Alaba went close again nine minutes later following a through ball from Marko Arnautovic but his first-time effort was smothered by Hungary goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly.

___

5:08 p.m.

Gabor Kiraly will set a tournament record when he starts in goal in Hungary's European Championship match against Austria.

At 40 years and 75 days, Kiraly is about to become the oldest player to take part in the tournament, beating Lothar Matthaus, who was 39 years and 91 days when Germany played Portugal at Euro 2000.

Kiraly made his international debut against Austria 18 years ago and saved a penalty after four minutes.

Versatile Bayern Munich defender David Alaba will be in the midfield for Austria and will push forward in support of Marc Janko, who scored five goals in his team's unbeaten qualifying campaign.

___

5:03 p.m.

Here are the lineups for the match between Austria and Hungary in Bordeaux in Group F:

Austria: Robert Almer, Christian Fuchs, Martin Hinteregger, Aleksandar Dragovic, Florian Klein, David Alaba, Julian Baumgartlinger, Marko Arnautovic, Zlatko Junuzovic, Martin Harnik, Marc Janko.

Hungary: Gabor Kiraly, Attila Fiola, Richard Guzmics, Adam Lang, Tamas Kadar, Zoltan Gera, Adam Nagy, Laszlo Kleinheisler, Krisztian Nemeth, Balazs Dzsudzsak, Adam Szalai

___

4:40 p.m.

British police are searching for 48 England fans involved in fighting at the European Championship in Marseille to ban them from attending soccer matches at home.

Mark Roberts, the head of soccer policing in Britain, told The Associated Press that his team has been working with French investigators to find the suspects following disorder around Saturday's game in Marseille.

Roberts said in an interview in Lille that "there were some English supporters who behaved badly. We have footage of those. There are currently 48 people we have images of ... and we will be seeking banning orders on them once we have identified them and they return to the U.K."

England fans are starting to flood into Lille, which has direct train links from Marseille and London, ahead of Thursday's game against Wales in nearby Wales.

Roberts says "we are obviously concerned (about Lille). What we saw in Marseille was appalling violence. It was concerted and largely came from people who came with the sole intent of injuring others. So we have to be concerned."

___

4:25 p.m.

Ahead of his team's match against Russia, Slovakia coach Jan Kozak says "the emotions tomorrow will calm down at the stadium and the atmosphere will be as it should be at such a great tournament."

Slovakia plays Russia on Wednesday in Lille.

UEFA ruled earlier Tuesday that Russia will be disqualified from Euro 2016 if there is more violence by the team's fans inside stadiums in France.

Kozak says "football is for people" and the Russian players, coaches and also fans "would not deserve anything bad because "it's above all about football."

___

4 p.m.

Russian soccer officials have urged their fans to behave to avoid being kicked out of the European Championship by UEFA.

The governing body of European soccer has threatened to kick Russia out of the tournament if the team's fans cause more violence in stadiums.

The Russian soccer federation has asked fans to "behave correctly and obey rules of behavior in stadiums and public places" because "the Russian national team and millions of fans in our country should not suffer because of thoughtless acts by individuals."

The federation also says the UEFA punishment is "excessively severe."

___

2:55 p.m.

The Slovakian soccer federation has urged its fans to avoid Russian and England supporters in the northern French cities of Lille and lens.

Slovakia faces Russia on Wednesday in Lille in its second Group B game. England plays Wales on Thursday in nearby Lens.

UEFA on Tuesday said Russia will be disqualified from the European Championship if there is more violence from the team's fans inside stadiums in France.

The federation says Slovak fans should avoid places where groups of English or Russian supporters gather, not to react to any provocation and to immediately leave a scene of a conflict.

___

2:50 p.m.

Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko says there will be no appeal against a UEFA ruling threatening disqualification from the European Championship for more acts of violence by the team's fans.

Mutko, who is also the president of the Russian Football Union, says "the punishment is excessive" and calls the 150,000 euro ($169,000) fine "huge," but says "there is no sense in appealing."

Mutko comments were reported by Russian news agency R-Sport.

UEFA said more fan violence from Russians inside the stadium at any of the team's remaining games would trigger expulsion from the tournament.

Mutko, however, says it would be wrong to expel Russia's team for the misdeeds of its fans.

Russia was charged after its fans attacked English supporters following a 1-1 draw in Marseille on Saturday.

___

2:30 p.m.

Russia coach Leonid Slutsky says "we are sure we are not going to be kicked out (of Euro 2016)."

Slutsky's was speaking Tuesday shortly after UEFA's disciplinary body said Russia will be disqualified from the European Championship if there is more fan violence inside stadiums in France after its fans attacked English rivals in Marseille after Saturday's 1-1 draw.

Russia's next match is against Slovakia on Wednesday in Lille.

Slutsky says "there is not going to be any injustice. We are sure (our fans) will not do the same, they will not give any reasons to disqualify our team."

Russia, which was also charged over fan racism and fireworks being set off during the game, has been fined 150,000 euros ($169,000) by UEFA.

Slutsky says "we have addressed our supporters and asked them to behave within the framework of rules. We need their support. They supported us very well during the England game."

Russia forward Artem Dzyuba says the players "don't want to be disqualified from Euro 2016 because of this kind of situation. ... Our supporters have to focus on just supporting us and we will try to show our best qualities in order to play in this competition."

___

1:50 p.m.

The English Football Association says it has contacted players' families and given them advice ahead of Thursday's match between England and Wales at the European Championship, which is being played amid tightened security after fan trouble last week.

There was fighting inside and outside the Stade Velodrome in Marseille when England played Russia on Saturday. The wife of England striker Jamie Vardy says she got caught up in the violence.

FA spokesman Mark Whittle said Tuesday there is a private website for family members and friends that players can access to receive up-to-date information and that the FA has staff in place to give safety advice to concerned family members.

England midfielder Adam Lallana has friends and family coming to the match against Wales and says "we've just got to hope the security is there and we trust everyone to do their job."

___

11:55 a.m.

UEFA's disciplinary body says Russia will be disqualified from the European Championship if there is more fan violence inside stadiums in France.

Russia was charged after its fans attacked English rivals in Marseille after Saturday's 1-1 draw.

Russia, which was also charged over fan racism and fireworks being set off during the game, has been fined 150,000 euros ($169,000) by UEFA.

UEFA says Russia's "disqualification is suspended until the end of the tournament. Such suspension will be lifted if incidents of a similar nature (crowd disturbances) happen inside the stadium at any of the remaining matches of the Russian team during the tournament."

Russia has two more games in Group B.

___

11:40 a.m.

President Vladimir Putin's spokesman says Russian soccer fans in France should observe the law and he has urged them not to respond to any "provocations."

"Violations of the law have been committed by fans from various nations, who have gone on rampages in Marseille and some other places. It's absolutely unacceptable, and we certainly expect our citizens to respect the country's laws," Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a conference call. "Regrettably, fans from various nations have taken part in those rampages, regrettably including Russia."

Asked about statements from some Russian officials who praised Russian fans for their action, Peskov said he disagrees.

"I can't agree with those statements, and in any case they can't represent the official viewpoint," he said.

Responding to questions about a bus full of Russian soccer fans who face deportation from France, he said that Russian consular officials are doing what is necessary to ensure their rights.

___

11:25 a.m.

A bus carrying Russian fans has been detained near the French city of Nice amid concerns over hooligan violence after Russian fans attacked English supporters last week.

A local official says a bus carrying 29 Russian fans was stopped by police after leaving a hotel near the Cote d'Azur town of Mandelieu-La Napoule on Tuesday.

Prefecture communications chief Ariane Parachini says police stopped the fans to see whether any hooligans were among them. An unspecified number have been taken to detention centers, a possible prelude to deportation.

Russian Embassy spokesman Sergei Parinov confirmed the episode.

Russia will play Slovakia in Lille on Wednesday, and England faces Wales the next day in Lens, raising the prospect of more clashes.

___

11:10 a.m.

German police are appealing for people to come forward with video recordings of violence involving suspected German hooligans before their country's opening European Championship match in Lille.

The Federal Criminal Police Office on Tuesday called for witnesses to submit material via its website at http://www.bka-hinweisportal.de/index.pl?lang=en and said the portal will remain in place for other games at the tournament.

Authorities have said that two people were slightly injured in Lille on Sunday during violence involving supporters from Germany and Ukraine. The incidents took place hours before Germany beat Ukraine 2-0 in the northern city.

___

11 a.m.

French authorities say a 2,400-strong security force is being deployed in Lens as the town prepares for an influx of 40,000 to 50,000 England and Wales fans for Thursday's European Championship game.

The policing operation in Euro 2016's smallest host city and its 35,000-capacity stadium has been intensified after clashes involving England and Russia fans around their opening Group B game in Marseille.

Regional administration head Fabienne Buccio says 1,200 police officers and the same number of private security guards will be in Lens, whose population can fit in the Stade Bollaert-Delelis.

Police will be at the stadium to help separate fans. UEFA acknowledged there were segregation problems at Marseille's Stade Velodrome.

Buccio says supermarkets around Lens will be banned from selling alcohol on Wednesday and Thursday.

Iranian women burn their hijabs as hundreds protest death of Mahsa ...

CNN —

In the video, a massive crowd cheers as a woman lifts a pair of scissors to her hair – exposed, without a hijab in sight. The sea of people, many of them men, roar as she chops off her ponytail and raises her fist in the air.

It was a powerful act of defiance Tuesday night in the Iranian city of Kerman, where women are required to wear hijabs (or headscarves) in public, as outrage over the death of a woman in police custody fuels protests across the country.

A woman in Tehran cuts off her ponytail before a cheering crowd of protesters on Tuesday. Twitter/cheshm_abi

Iranian authorities said Wednesday that three people, including a member of the security forces, have been killed in the unrest, which has stretched into a fifth day.

Human rights groups have reported that at least seven people have been killed.

The death last week of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was arrested in Tehran by morality police – a dedicated unit that enforces strict dress codes for women, such as wearing the compulsory headscarf – has sparked an outpouring anger over issues ranging from freedoms in the Islamic Republic to the crippling economic impacts of sanctions.

The protests are striking for their scale, ferocity and rare feminist nature; the last demonstrations of this size were three years ago, after the government hiked gas prices in 2019.

After starting Saturday at Amini’s funeral in Iran’s Kurdistan province, the demonstrations have swept much of the country, leading to clashes with security forces trying to quell them.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made no mention of the protests during a speech on Wednesday to veterans and military commanders commemorating the Iran-Iraq war from 1980 to 1988.

The prosecutor in the western city of Kermanshah said two people were killed during “riots” on Tuesday, the semi-official Fars news agency reported. The official IRNA state news agency said a police “assistant” was killed and four others injured during protests in Shiraz, the capital city of Fars province in southwestern Iran.

A 23-year-old in Urmia and a 16-year-old in Piranshahar were shot dead during protests on Tuesday, bringing the total number of demonstrators killed to seven, according to two Kurdish human rights groups monitoring violations in Iran – Kurdistan Human Rights Network and Hengaw, a Norwegian-registered organization.

Iranian authorities did not confirm the deaths.

A woman sets her headscarf alight during protests in central Tehran. SalamPix/Abaca/Sipa USA

Thousands took to the streets Tuesday night, with videos of protests emerging from dozens of towns and cities – ranging from the capital Tehran to more traditionally conservative strongholds like Mashad.

Footage shows some protesters chanting, “Women, life, freedom.” Others can be seen setting up bonfires, scuffling with police, or removing and burning their headscarves – as well as destroying posters of the country’s Supreme Leader and shouting, “Death to the dictator.”

In one video in Tehran, young protesters march around a bonfire on the street at night, chanting: “We are the children of war. Come on and fight, and we’ll fight back.”

Almost all the provincial towns in Iran’s Kurdish region, including Kermanshah and Hamedan, have seen demonstrations as well.

Witnesses tell CNN that the Tuesday night demonstrations appeared to be “flash protests” – meaning groups form and disperse quickly, to avoid run-ins with Iran’s security forces after the escalating violence of the last week.

A source said there was at least one instance of a heavy-handed police response on Tuesday, near Iran’s Enghelab (“Revolution”) Square on the western side of Tehran University – historically a rallying point for protests.

“Two young men were hit and beaten up by plainclothes police and anti-riot police, then dragged to the van in front of (the) subway entrance gate,” an eyewitness told CNN. “A wounded girl lying on the sidewalk was taken by ambulance to the hospital, and five others arrested on the north side of Enghelab Square.”

Hengaw said 450 people have been injured in the protests.

Promises of a ‘thorough investigation’

Amini was stopped and detained by Iran’s morality police last Tuesday. Iranian officials said that she died last Friday after suffering a “heart attack” and falling into a coma following her arrest.

However, her family said she had no pre-existing heart condition, according to Emtedad news, an Iranian pro-reform media outlet which claimed to have spoken to Amini’s father.

Public anger has grown in Iran since authorities announced Mahsa Amini's death. AFP/Getty Images

Edited security camera footage released by Iran’s state media appeared to show Amini collapsing at a “re-education” center where she was taken to receive “guidance” on her attire.

Iran’s morality police are part of the country’s law enforcement and are tasked with enforcing the strict social rules of the Islamic Republic, including its dress code that mandates women wear a headscarf, or hijab, in public.

An aide to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei promised a “thorough investigation” into Amini’s death during a meeting with her family in their home on Monday, according to Iran’s semi-official Nour News agency.

Abdolreza Pourzahabi, Khamenei’s representative in Iran’s Kurdish province, said the Supreme Leader “is sad” and that the family’s sorrow “is his sorrow too,” according to Nour.

He added that he hopes the family shows “good will to help bring back calm in society.”

During a news conference, also on Monday, Greater Tehran Police Commander Hossein Rahimi denied “false accusations” against the Iranian police, saying they had “done everything” to keep Amini alive.

He added that Amini had not been harmed physically during or after she was taken into custody, and called her death “unfortunate.”

In the wake of Amini’s death, internet monitoring website Netblocks has documented internet outages since Friday – a tactic Iran has previously used to prevent the spread of protests.

On Monday, the watchdog said that “real-time network data show a near-total disruption to internet connectivity in Sanandaj, the capital of Kurdistan province.”

Iran’s minister of communications, Issa Zarepour, said that internet services could be disrupted for “security purposes and discussions related to recent events,” by security forces, the country’s semi-official ISNA news agency reported.

Jessie Yeung Ramin Mostaghim Jomana Karadsheh Mostafa Salem Jennifer Deaton

England vs. Iran: For Iranians, this World Cup is about more than ...

CNN —

For the last few months, soccer in Iran has witnessed small acts of defiance against the country’s regime amid widespread protests in the country; Sardar Azmoun’s refusal to celebrate scoring an equalizer against Senegal and several players changing their social media profile pictures to black.

Soccer, like everything else in Iran, has been affected by the protests, chaos and violence convulsing the country and threatening the very nature of the regime that has been in power for more than 40 years.

It is amid this turmoil the Iranian national team has traveled across the Persian Gulf to Qatar where it will face two of the country’s fiercest geopolitical rivals, England and the US, in its group – the ‘Old Fox’ and the ‘Great Satan’ as they are referred to colloquially by some in Iran.

“How can this team go and perform when you’re supposed to be a national team, a representative of the people?” Peyvand Mossavat, an Iranian-born Canadian former soccer player and now coach, told CNN Sport.

In the buildup to the World Cup in Qatar, there were calls for Iran to be thrown out of the tournament. As the team prepares to play England for its opening World Cup match on 21 November, all eyes will be on its players for more than soccer.

The protests, referred to by experts as the most significant since the establishment of clerical rule following the 1979 Iranian Revolution, were sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who died after being detained by Iran’s morality police allegedly for not abiding by the country’s conservative dress code.

Iranian demonstrators take to the streets of Tehran during a protest for Mahsa Amini in September, days after she died in police custody. AFP/Getty Images

What began as a clamor for women’s rights has morphed into a movement, still driven by women, demanding the end of a regime that “people no longer believe…is reformable,” Abbas Milani, director of Iranian studies at Stanford University, told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour earlier this month. “They want a different social contract without the clergy claiming divine right.”

Iranian security forces have unleashed a violent response, killing at least 378 people, the Norway-based Iran Human Rights NGO (IHRNGO) group has claimed, while a UN official says as many as 14,000 people have been arrested across the country, including journalists, activists, lawyers and educators.

CNN cannot independently verify these figures as non-state media, the internet, and protest movements in Iran have all been suppressed. Death tolls vary by opposition groups, international rights organizations and journalists tracking the ongoing protests.

‘The number one sport’

Football is the “number one sport” in Iran, Iranian-born Canadian coach Mossavat says, giving the team a potentially powerful platform from which to voice its support for the protestors.

In the past, the national team had been seen as more representative of the Iranian people than the regime, Omid Namazi – Iranian national team’s assistant coach from 2011 to 2014 – told CNN Sport.

When the FIFA World Cup Twitter account posted images of the Iranian players smiling and goofing around in a pre-tournament photoshoot, it prompted criticism by some on social media.

“I am so disappointed, so heartbroken by these,” Iranian-born football journalist Sina Saemian tweeted. “The lack of common sense, lack of empathy and insensitivity shown in these pictures is genuinely disheartening. The photo op is absolutely FIFA’s requirement, but the poses are not. There is a clear absence of any sense of awareness.”

Although its star forward, Azmoun, has shown his support for the protestors, Namazi says that many of the other national team players have remained relatively quiet, “leaving a bad taste.”

“The perception has really changed about the players, the national team itself,” he adds. “People call it the national team of the Islamic Republic and not the national team of the people of Iran.”

Iran's Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz attends a training session at the Al-Rayyan training facility in Doha on November 20, 2022, on the eve of his side's first match. Fadel Senna/AFP/Getty Images

Azmoun, who plays for the German team Bayer Leverkusen, posted multiple times to social media, and changed his profile picture to black in support of the protesters, and indicated that it could have cost him a place in the World Cup squad.

“That is worth sacrificing for one strand of Iranian women’s hair,” he wrote in an Instagram story. “Shame on you who kill people so easily. Long live Iranian women.”

Azmoun was ultimately selected to play in Qatar, but Iranwire, an opposition news outlet, reported that Iranian men’s football team manager Carlos Queiroz had come under pressure from Iran’s Sports Ministry to leave him out the squad.

Protesting at the World Cup, on the biggest stage of all for football, carries potentially huge risks for the current players in the national team.

“The players are under a lot of pressure by the government. It affects their livelihood, their future, their earnings,” Namazi says.

Nonetheless, players will be free to protest at the World Cup so long as they do not break FIFA rules, their manager Queiroz has said.

“I don’t know if they’ll do anything,” Iranian football fan Payam, who didn’t give his surname for safety reasons, tells CNN Sport.

“We are all hoping they do something…If they don’t, it’s going to be a big egg on their face, to be honest.”

Defender Ehsan Hajsafi became the first member of the national team to speak out at the World Cup in apparent support of anti-government protests at home. “They should know that we are with them. And we support them. And we sympathize with them regarding the conditions,” he told reporters, per Reuters, on Sunday.

Saeed Piramoon imitates cutting his hair during a match. Telegram/Kanali

CNN has reached out for comment to FIFA regarding its stance on potential player protests but, at the time of publication, had not yet received a response.

Former player Ali Daei, a soccer great in Iran, has publicly supported the protestors, with Daei refusing to attend the World Cup in solidarity with protestors.

Meanwhile, beach soccer player Saeed Piramoon imitated cutting his hair, signaling his support for the protesters, after he scored the winning goal in the final of the Intercontinental Beach Soccer Cup while his team was seen not singing the Iranian national anthem before the match.

Iran’s football authorities vowed that “people who have not followed professional and sports ethics … will be dealt with according to the regulations,” a statement published by Iran’s Football Federation after the beach soccer game said.

“I’ve got goosebumps just telling you the courage that it takes,” Mossavat says. “Their entire team was reported to have been taken away from the airport because they didn’t celebrate.”

A video published on BBC Persian allegedly showed journalists blocked from speaking to the national team when they arrived back at the Imam Khomeini Airport in Tehran. CNN could not verify the video.

The build-up to the World Cup has been dominated by discussions surrounding human rights, from the death of migrant workers and the conditions many have endured in Qatar, to LGBTQ and women’s rights.

Iran faces England in its opening World Cup match. In October the Athletic reported that England didn’t have any plans to “publicly demonstrate its solidarity” with the Iranian protestors. Speaking to CNN, an English Football Association spokesperson said: “We are aware of the protests in Iran, and following the situation. It is obviously worrying, but the best people to comment on it are the Iranian people.”

CNN has also reached out to the Welsh FA and US Soccer, teams also in Iran’s group, but, at the time of publication, had yet to receive a response.

‘Maybe we can show people what’s going on’

In the wake of the protests and the human rights violations happening in Iran, several groups inside and outside the country have called upon FIFA to ban it from the World Cup.

In October, a group of prominent Iranian athletes lobbied FIFA via a law firm, urging it to suspend the Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI) and ban it from participating at the World Cup.

“Iran’s brutality and belligerence towards its own people has reached a tipping point, demanding an unequivocal and firm disassociation from the footballing and sports world,” a press release issued alongside the letter reads.

They were joined in this stance by a human rights group, ‘Open Stadiums,’ which describes itself as “a movement of Iranian women seeking to end discrimination” and allow women to attend football stadiums. “The Iranian FA is not only an accomplice of the crimes of the regime, it is a direct threat to the security of female fans in Iran and wherever our national team plays in the world,” the group wrote in an open letter to FIFA in September.

Iranian women were allowed to attend a national football championship match for the first time since the 1979 Islamic Revolution on August 25, 2022. Hossein Zohrevand/Tasnim News/AFP/Getty Images

The Ukrainian Football Association also called on FIFA to “consider excluding” Iran’s national team, citing the “systematic human rights violations” there, and “the possible involvement of Iran in the military aggression of Russia against Ukraine.”

CNN has reached out to FIFA and the FFIRI for comment about calls for Iran to be banned from the Cup but, at the time of publication, had not received a response.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino defended Iran’s participation in the 2022 Qatar World Cup in his pre-tournament press conference, saying it is “two football teams” going head-to-head in matches rather than “two regimes” or “two ideologies.”

Infantino reminded journalists of FIFA’s role as an organization, saying “we’re not the United Nations. We’re not the world police. We’re not… I don’t know the blue helmets.”

Saman Ghoddos, Iran’s only player to play in the English Premier League, and who has publicly supported the protests, also believes that Iran should compete at the World Cup.

“I’ve heard about it and from my point of view, I don’t know if it’s the right direction,” he told CNN’s Don Riddell in October. “Because I always think that football should be outside politics and should not be involved in that.

“But I don’t think it’s the right move to kick out Iran from the World Cup, but maybe we can put a light and show people what’s going on.”

For Mossavat, the World Cup seems to be operating in an alternate reality to the protests unfolding in his home country.

“While this is happening, I cannot see people being overly excited [about the World Cup] when they’re out on the street fighting for freedom,” Mossavat says. “I think it’s going to be difficult to galvanize people.”

Saman Ghoddos plays for Brentford. John Patrick Fletcher/Shutterstock

The national team, Queiroz said on Twitter, are seeking to bring “joy, happiness and pride” to the fans in Iran.

“For him to have the audacity to come and say: ‘Oh, our job is to entertain people and make people happy.’ What people are you making happy?” Mossavat says.

“Can Mahsa Amini’s parents, or [the parents] of Navid Afkari…be happy, be joyful to watch you play football? That’s impossible.”

Afkari was a famous Iranian wrestler who was executed by the government in Iran in 2020 for a crime human rights activists, his family and friends say he did not commit.

Football seems of diminished importance in the wake of such grief that Iranians have experienced in the last few months.

“When you know what’s going on, it’s very difficult to prioritize football,” Ghoddos added. “It’s very difficult and football comes in the second hand because it’s lives that are being lost by fighting for freedom.”

When Iran’s football team takes to the field at the World Cup, complete with national anthems, flags and as a tangible manifestation of the country itself, more than progress to the knockout stages is at stake, for it will find itself inadvertently entangled in the fight for Iran’s future.

Mahsa Amini's father says Iran authorities lied about her death, as ...

CNN —

The father of an Iranian woman who died in police custody last week has accused authorities of lying about her death, as protests rage nationwide despite the government’s attempt to curb dissent with an internet blackout.

Amjad Amini, whose daughter Mahsa died after being arrested in Tehran by morality police, said doctors had refused to let him see his daughter after her death.

Iranian officials have claimed she died after suffering a “heart attack” and falling into a coma, but her family have said she had no pre-existing heart condition, according to Emtedad news, an Iranian pro-reform media outlet. Public skepticism over the officials’ account of her death has sparked an outpouring of anger that has spilled into deadly protests.

“They’re lying. They’re telling lies. Everything is a lie … no matter how much I begged, they wouldn’t let me see my daughter,” Amjad Amini told BBC Persia on Wednesday.

When he viewed his daughter’s body leading up to her funeral it was entirely wrapped except for her feet and face – though he noticed bruising on her feet. “I have no idea what they did to her,” he said.

CNN could not independently verify his account with hospital officials.

A protest in Tehran, Iran, over the death of Mahsa Amini, on September 21. Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

CCTV footage released by Iran’s state media showed Mahsa Amini collapsing at a “re-education” center where she was taken by the morality police to receive “guidance” on her attire.

Her death has sparked an outpouring of anger that has snowballed to include issues ranging from freedoms in the Islamic Republic to the crippling economic impacts of sanctions.

Protests and deadly clashes with police have broken out in towns and cities across Iran, despite authorities’ attempts to curb the spread of demonstrations through internet blackouts.

Internet blackouts

Mobile networks have been largely shut down and access to Instagram and Whatsapp have been restricted, internet watchdog Netblocks said on Wednesday evening. A second “nation-scale” loss of connectivity in Iran was reported by Netblocks on Thursday.

There was a near-total disruption to internet access in parts of Iran’s western Kurdistan province from Monday evening, and regional blackouts in other parts of the country including Sanandaj and Tehran.

This comes after Iran’s Minister of Communications warned that there could be internet disruptions “for security purposes and discussions related to recent events,” according to the country’s semi-official ISNA news agency.

The last time Iran saw such a severe blackout was when authorities tried to contain mass protests in late 2019, after fuel prices increased by as much as 300%.

At the time, Iran was taken almost entirely offline – which Oracle’s Internet Intelligence called the “largest internet shutdown ever observed in Iran.”

This week, several Iranian state government websites – including the official sites of the President and of Iran’s Central Bank – were also offline, with the hacker collective Anonymous claiming responsibility.

Dozens of people stage a demonstration to protest the death of Mahsa Amini in Tehran, Iran, on September 21. Stringer/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

“(Greetings) Citizens of Iran. This is a message from Anonymous to all Iran. We are here and we are with you,” a social media account affiliated with the group tweeted on Tuesday.

“We support your determination for peace against brutality and massacres. We know that your determination stems not from vengeance, but from your longing for justice. All tyrants will fall before your courage. Long live free Iranian women.”

The hacker collective also took responsibility for temporarily taking down the website of Iran’s government-aligned Fars news agency early Wednesday morning, according to a tweet from Anonymous. The website has since come back online.

Violent crackdown doesn't slow protest against Iran's morality police 02:35 - Source: CNN

Growing fury over deadly clashes

At least eight people, including a teenager, have been killed in recent days due to clashes at the protests, according to the human rights group Amnesty International.

At least four of those eight “died from injuries sustained from security forces firing metal pellets at close range,” said Amnesty in a report published Wednesday.

Four others were shot by security forces, Amnesty said, citing sources in Iran. It added that eyewitness accounts and video analysis show a pattern of “Iranian security forces unlawfully and repeatedly firing metal pellets directly at protesters.”

Riot police were mobilized to disperse protesters Wednesday night in the capital Tehran, and were seen arresting several people, according to eyewitnesses who did not want to be named for safety reasons.

A bin burning in the middle of an intersection during a protest in Tehran, Iran, on September 20. AFP/Getty Images

The riot police deployed tear gas, with a “heavy-handed crackdown” near Tehran University, said an eyewitness.

Another eyewitness in the city’s eastern district said protesters were heard shouting “Death to the dictator,” a reference to Iran’s Supreme Leader, and “I kill anyone who killed my sister,” referring to Amini.

Videos from protests nationwide show people destroying posters of the Supreme Leader, and women burning their hijabs and cutting off their hair in a symbolic show of defiance.

CNN has reached out to the police and Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRGC), which joined riot police on Wednesday night in Tehran, for comment.

The IRGC issued a warning to protesters in a statement Thursday, and called on the judiciary to identify people responsible for spreading “rumors” on social media.

The IRGC accused protesters of “rioting” and “vandalism,” and called on the police to “protect the security of the nation.”

Meanwhile, Fars news agency reported Thursday that two members of Iran’s Basij paramilitary organization – a volunteer paramilitary group connected to the IRGC – were killed separately during protests in Iranian provinces.

“Rioters” stabbed one Basij member in Tabriz, the capital city of northwestern Iran’s East Azerbaijan province, Fars reported. State-run Al Alam said that another Basij member was killed in Qazvin province.

A propaganda-style video titled “When the Basij Enters,” published by Fars on Thursday, allegedly showed Basij members on motorcycles clearing barricades and detaining men on the street. The video does not specify a location or a date.

International activists and leaders have also expressed concern about the protests and alleged police violence.

Sweden’s Foreign Minister said on Wednesday that Sweden stands with Iranians mourning Amini, and demanded that authorities respect their right to peaceful protest. Germany also called on Iranian authorities to “allow peaceful demonstrations and, above all, not to use any further violence” during a news conference on Wednesday.

British Foreign Office Minister Tariq Ahmad said the United Kingdom was “extremely concerned at reports of serious mistreatment of Ms Amini, and many others, by the security forces.”

“The use of violence in response to the expression of fundamental rights, by women or any other members of Iranian society, is wholly unjustifiable,” his statement said.

Jessie Yeung Jomana Karadsheh Ramin Mostaghim Sahar Akbarzai