Female protesters have been at the forefront of escalating protests in Iran and have been burning headscarves, after the death in custody of a woman detained for breaking hijab laws.
Videos of public protests are being posted on Iranian social media after the death of Mahsa Amini following her arrest by morality police.
— Shayan Sardarizadeh (@Shayan86) September 16, 2022
Protesters chant "death to the dictator" near Argentina Square, central Tehran, tonight (35.7371115,51.4153741) pic.twitter.com/MXdwQOkyZZ
Demonstrations have continued for five successive nights, and reached several towns and cities.
Mahsa Amini died in hospital on Friday after spending three days in a coma.
In Sari, north of Tehran, large crowds cheered as women set their hijabs alight in defiant acts of protest.
Ms Amini was arrested in the capital last week by Iran’s morality police, accused of breaking the law requiring women to cover their hair with a hijab, or headscarf, and their arms and legs with loose clothing.
She fell into a coma shortly after collapsing at a detention centre.
At Mahsa Amini's funeral in her hometown of Saqqez, Kurdistan province, women take their headscarves off in protest against Iran's forced hijab law amid "death to the dictator" chants.
— Shayan Sardarizadeh (@Shayan86) September 17, 2022
Mahsa, 22, died in custody after being arrested by morality police.pic.twitter.com/MaqyberjNO
Mahsa Amini, 22, was arrested by Iran's morality police for so-called "inappropriate hijab". She fell into a coma at a police station and sadly died at a hospital today. Morality police claim she had a "sudden heart attack". Her mother says Mahsa was murdered by the authorities. pic.twitter.com/ibWOnMBROk
— Shayan Sardarizadeh (@Shayan86) September 16, 2022
There were reports that police beat Ms Amini’s head with a baton and banged her head against one of their vehicles, Acting UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Nada al-Nashif said.
The police have denied that she was mistreated and said she suffered « sudden heart failure ». Ms Amini’s family has said she was fit and healthy.
The 22-year-old was from Kurdistan Province in western Iran, where three people were killed on Monday as security forces opened fire on protesters.
An aide to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei paid a visit to Ms Amini’s family on Monday and told them that « all institutions will take action to defend the rights that were violated », state media reported.
Senior MP Jalal Rashidi Koochi publicly criticised the morality police, saying the force was a « mistake » as it had only produced « loss and damage » for Iran.
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