The Iranian supreme leader, the object of a 'hacking' on the country's television

The supreme leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, has become the object of the anger of many of the young people who participate in the protests over the death of Mahsa Amini, with cries of "death to the dictator" or with the hacking of his interventions television.

Thomas Osborne
Thomas Osborne
09 October 2022 Sunday 03:30
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The Iranian supreme leader, the object of a 'hacking' on the country's television

The supreme leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, has become the object of the anger of many of the young people who participate in the protests over the death of Mahsa Amini, with cries of "death to the dictator" or with the hacking of his interventions television.

"Your hands are full of the blood of our young people," some incredulous viewers saw on the nightly news on state television.

The programming of the state channel showed Khamenei in an intervention with a group of clerics when something that nobody expected appeared on the screen.

The image changed to show Khamenei surrounded by flames and with a rifle scope on him, while photos of Amini and other young women who have died in the protests appeared below. In addition, a voice over these images recited the slogan of the protests: "Woman, freedom, life."

When the image was cut, the presenter of the news could be seen with a rueful gesture saying "dearest viewers, I invite you to see the rest of the news." The hacker group Edalat-e Ali (Justice of Ali) claimed responsibility for the action.

The figure of Khamenei has been one of the targets of the young people who have protested since Amini's death on September 16 after being arrested.

In the multiple protests throughout the country one of the chants is "Death to the dictator", in reference to the supreme leader. They also resonate "Death to Khamenei" or "Death to the Islamic Republic". Those cries resound at night in many neighborhoods of Tehran from the windows of the houses.

The 83-year-old religious leader reappeared in mid-September after reports and rumors about his poor health. Despite several public appearances, it was not until October 3, after two weeks of protests, that he mentioned Amini's death. He then blamed the US and Israel for the protests, though he called Amini's death "heartbreaking."

Amini, 22, died on September 16 after being arrested three days earlier by the so-called Morale Police in Tehran on the grounds that she was wearing the Islamic veil wrongly.

Iran's state-run Forensic Medicine Organization said Friday that Amini died from a previous ailment and not from police beatings.