SUMMARY
One-sided violence by Iran's security forces has mostly occurred during protests against the government. In 2005, mass demonstrations took place in the Kurdish regions following the murder by security forces of a local activist. Occasional protests break out in the Kurdish region over perceived discrimination and government suppression.
A more serious threat to the Islamic Republic's stability occurred in 2009, as mass demonstration by the reformist opposition broke out against the allegedly fraudulent re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as president, sparking violent crackdowns. The political climate has hardened since then, with no credible reformist challengers having been allowed to participate in the presidential election since.
Tensions with the west over Iran's nuclear ambitions also increased during the Ahmadinejad administration. Sanctions and economic mismanagement caused an economic downturn and spiraling inflation, which in turn fed into social unrest. Tensions reached a peak in November 2019, as the government was forced to remove fuel subsidies to sanitize government finances, causing massive fuel price rises. Mass protests broke out, with large crowds chanting for an end to the rule of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the Islamic republic itself. The security forces, on orders of the Supreme Leader himself, responded with brutal repression. Over a thousand people are believed to have been killed, most of which died in the latter days as protests generally turned violent in response to the repression. Hundreds more died in confirmed peaceful protests, mostly during the first two days of the protest movement.
Occasional violence against refugees has also taken place, with government forces being responsible for a particularly fatal incident in which they killed at least 23 Afghan migrants in May 2020.
Renewed outbreaks of protests occurred in 2021, notably over the killing of some traders in Sistan and Baluchistan in February and over water insecurity that began in Khuzestan province in July, with the government responding with lethal force.
Following the announcement of 21-year-old Mahsa Amini's death on 16 September 2022, protests erupted across Iran's social strata, prominently featuring women and students. However, the largely peaceful protests met severe repression from the Iranian regime, amplified by insurgent groups like Jaish al-Adl exploiting the situation. Between September and December, 118 fatalities were recorded due to violence towards civilians across the country.
