Economists are warning decision-makers in Iran against “fighting a losing battle” and demanding acknowledgment of the people’s right to protest.
Five top economists in Iran, including Masoud Nili, who was an economic advisor to former President Hassan Rouhani, warned of the worsening situation in the country.
In a statement published by the weekly business magazine, Tejarat-e-Farda, the five economists said that overcoming current problems is dependent on authorities accepting “the cultural and social realities of Iranians.”
They said that “decision-makers could succeed in suppressing angry protests and mistakenly believe that the issue is over, but it would prove impossible to manage a country where muffled anger ails large segments of society.”
The five economists urged policymakers to avoid “going too deep into fighting a losing battle” and demanded they recognize the people’s right to criticize and protest.
Mahsa Amini, 22, died on September 16, three days after falling into a coma following her arrest in Tehran by the morality police for allegedly breaching the strict dress code for women.
Anger over her death has triggered the biggest wave of protests to rock Iran in almost three years and a crackdown that has killed dozens of protesters and seen scores arrested.
Despite security personnel using lethal force, the women-led protests have continued for 21 consecutive nights, according to online videos verified by AFP.
Video footage has shown people chanting the protest catch phrase “Woman, Life, Freedom!” from their apartment windows under the cover of night.
In some of the video recordings, a group of young schoolgirls can be heard chanting “Death to the dictator” in the northern city of Rasht.
Security forces arrested prominent supporters of the protests, including activists, journalists, pop stars, and athletes.
As part of the crackdown on the protests, Iran has blocked access to social media sites such as Instagram and WhatsApp.
