Iranian president, Ebrahim Raisi, greets crowds during the 44th
anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, at the Azadi Square in
Tehran on Saturday. Photograph: Iranian presidential office HO/EPA
On Saturday, Iran celebrated the 44th anniversary of the 1979 Revolution as anti-government hackers interrupted a televised speech by Ebrahim Raisi, the president.
His speech was frequently interrupted by “Death to America” chants, a trademark slogan at state rallies.
- Raisi referred to the protests as a project by Iran’s enemies.
- Ebrahim Raisi,
whose hardline government faces tough challenges from young protesters,
appealed to the “deceived youth” to repent so the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, can pardon them.
- As part of an amnesty marking the revolution’s anniversary, Iranian authorities released Fariba Adelkhah, an Iranian-French academic imprisoned since 2019.
- She was one of seven French nationals detained in Iran, which worsened relations between Paris and Tehran.
