Red Crescent employee killed in Iran

A local Red Crescent staff member was killed and five others wounded while on duty in Iran, which is gripped by widespread protests, the global Red Cross federation said Thursday.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said the incident happened in northwestern Iran and voiced deep concern about the impact of the ongoing unrest.

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The protests were sparked by economic grievances but evolved rapidly into a nationwide movement that has constituted the greatest threat to the Islamic Republic since its inception in 1979.

“The IFRC is deeply saddened by the killing of Amir Ali Latifi... and the wounding of five other IRCS colleagues, who were all in the line of duty in Gilan province, on January 10,” the federation said in a statement from its Geneva headquarters.

An IFRC spokesman told AFP that at this stage, “we don’t know the full picture of what exactly happened,” including whether the deaths and the injuries were part of the same incident.

Rights groups say the crackdown by the Iranian authorities, who exercise zero tolerance for dissent, has left at least 3,428 people dead.

They also accuse the country’s theocratic leaders of using an internet blackout to cover up the brutality of the crackdown.

The IFRC is the world’s largest humanitarian network, with more than 17 million volunteers in more than 191 countries.

“The Iranian Red Crescent Society is a humanitarian organization... operating in accordance with the fundamental principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence,” the federation said.

“We stand in solidarity with the Iranian Red Crescent Society and all medical and humanitarian workers providing life-saving assistance during this difficult time. Humanitarian workers must be protected.”

It said respect for the Red Crescent emblem was essential to ensure the continued delivery of life-saving assistance to people in need.

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