Blaming 'enemies' for the 1999 student protests as hundreds were arrested and some sentenced to death
After police and hardline vigilantes raided a Tehran University dormitory in July 1999, Khamenei condemned the raid but blamed the protests that followed on enemies including the United States. Security forces then crushed the demonstrations, hundreds were reported arrested, and a revolutionary court announced death sentences for protesters.
Editorial timeline of public reporting, not a legal finding.
- Police and vigilantes raid a Tehran University dormitory - BBC News and Radio Farda reported that after students protested the closure of the reformist newspaper Salam, police and hardline vigilantes stormed Tehran University dormitories before dawn on 9 July 1999. At least one person was killed and dozens were injured or detained, and protests spread to other cities. Iran's student protests: Five years on
- Says the raid 'broke my heart' but blames enemies for the unrest - The New York Times reported that Khamenei said 'this bitter incident has broken my heart', called entering private spaces un-Islamic and told supporters to stay silent 'even if they set fire to my picture', while blaming enemies including the United States for the unrest. Students at the university booed and chanted 'Commander-in-chief, resign!' Iran Protests Spread to 18 Cities; Police Crack Down at University
- State rally, hundreds arrested and a death-penalty warning - BBC News reported that after protests in Tehran were put down, the authorities staged a large rally in support of the Supreme Leader. Hundreds were reported arrested, according to Amnesty International, and Deputy Speaker Hassan Rouhani said those arrested for sabotage would face the death penalty. IRGC commanders had separately sent President Mohammad Khatami a warning letter, BBC News reported. Hardliners rally in Tehran
- HRW reports new arrests and disappearances of students - Human Rights Watch reported a new wave of arrests of students and activists after the protests ended, saying the whereabouts of a number of detainees were unknown. New Arrests and Disappearances of Iranian Students
- Revolutionary court announces death sentences for protesters - Human Rights Watch reported that the head of Tehran's Revolutionary Court announced on 11 September 1999 four death sentences against people detained over the protests, two of them confirmed by the Supreme Court, and said about a thousand people had been arrested. Iran: Revolutionary Court Death Sentences Condemned