Iranian cleric reportedly killed in his home overnight

Yaser Taheri, the imam of Imam Hasan al-Askari Mosque in the city of Sari, in Iran’s Mazandaran Province, was reportedly killed at his home.

TodayPress TV reports, citing IranWire, that the incident has been reported by local sources.

According to circulating reports, two people carried out the attack. One of them was allegedly a woman, and a bladed weapon was reportedly used. The reports also claim that the attackers severed the cleric’s genitals and took them away.

There is no independently verified information about the motive for the attack or the identities of the alleged perpetrators.

For years, Iran’s mandatory hijab rules, restrictions on women’s rights and the state enforcement of religious regulations have been among the issues fuelling public discontent. The “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement, which gained widespread momentum in 2022, brought these grievances to international attention.

Turkan Isgandarli