What has been unfolding in Iran for weeks is unacceptable and intolerable. Across the country, young protesters have taken to the streets to challenge the rigid fundamentalism of the Ayatollahs and the violent grip of the Revolutionary Guards (Pasdaran). They are demanding freedom and dignity, reclaiming the identity of a people long crushed, abused, and silenced by the regime’s apparatus. Despite a sweeping internet blackout, images continue to emerge showing extraordinary courage. Protesters face live fire aimed at eye level and brutal repression, undeterred even by the bodies of demonstrators deliberately left in the streets as a warning.
The Iranian population has been in a state of recurring revolt for at least two decades. Various resistance movements—among them the People’s Mojahedin—have operated for years against the fundamentalist system that dominates the country. Europe, for its part, can only stand with them and continue to expose the crimes of the regime. Last week, the Italian Senate approved a resolution condemning Tehran’s crackdown, backed by all political forces except the Five Star Movement. According to reports compiled by medical staff from several Iranian hospitals, the death toll has surpassed 16,500. Most victims are under the age of 30, with the majority of killings reportedly occurring over just two days. More than 300,000 people are said to have been injured. Speaking to The Sunday Times, Iranian-German ophthalmic surgeon Professor Amir Parasta described an unprecedented level of brutality: “Military-grade weapons are being used. We are seeing gunshot and shrapnel wounds to the head, neck, and chest.” Security forces, he said, are deliberately targeting protesters’ faces. At least 700 people have reportedly lost their eyesight.
Despite the scale of the repression, resistance continues. Numerous testimonies have emerged, including that of rapper Meraj Tehrani, who took part in the demonstrations. “At first, the government did not expect so many people to come out—they were caught off guard,” he said. This time, however, the protests are united around a single demand. “For the first time, we are all singing together.” The movement is unprecedented in its scope, cutting across social classes and generations. The regime appears aware that its grip on power is weakening. Several sources claim that foreign forces, including Iraqi militias, have been allowed into the country to help suppress the unrest. The Iranian people’s struggle is not only their own—it concerns all of us, including those who already live in freedom. Among the victims is Yasin Mirzai, a 30-year-old engineer who had been studying in Messina, Italy, and returned to Iran to stand with his people. He was killed, like so many other young protesters.
In light of these events, expressions of solidarity are no longer sufficient. Concrete action is required. The European Union has the tools to respond: by strengthening sanctions against Iran’s political, economic, and military structures, and by taking the long-overdue step of designating the Revolutionary Guards—directly responsible for the killings—as a terrorist organization.
Giulio Terzi