Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
World
Tim Hanlon

'Five dead in protests' after Iranian woman is beaten to death in police custody

Five people have reportedly been killed after Iranian police opened fire during protests over a woman who was beaten to death in police custody for not covering her hair with a hijab.

There have been three days of riots following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, from Iran's Kurdistan province which sparked nationwide anger.

Ms Amini fell into a coma and died following her arrest in Tehran last week by the morality police, sparking demonstrations in numerous areas including the capital.

It has led to two people dying as security forces opened fire on protesters in the Kurdish city of Saqez, Amini's hometown, the Hengaw Human Rights Organization said on Twitter.

It said two more were killed in the town of Divandarreh "by direct fire" from security forces, and a fifth was killed in Dehgolan, also in the Kurdish region.

Ms Amini was arrested for not covering her hair with a hijab (Social Networks/ZUMA Press Wire/REX/Shutterstock)
Ms Amini fell into a coma and died following her arrest in Tehran (Social Networks/ZUMA Press Wire/REX/Shutterstock)

There was no official confirmation of the deaths. The official news agency IRNA said there were "limited" protests in a number of cities in seven provinces that were dispersed by police.

State TV said a number of protesters had been arrested but rejected "some claims of deaths on social media" by showing two injured youths who denied reports they had been killed.

In the nationwide condemnations of Amini's death, the Persian hashtag £MahsaAmini reached nearly two million Twitter mentions.

The police have said Amini fell ill as she waited with other women held by the morality police, who enforce strict rules in the Islamic republic requiring women to cover their hair and wear loose fitting clothes in public.

But her father has repeatedly said his daughter had no health problems, adding that she had suffered bruises to her legs. He held the police responsible for her death.

Five people have now been killed in protests across Iran (Twitter)

The protests have been most intense in the Kurdish region, where the authorities have previously put down unrest by the Kurdish minority numbering eight million to 10 million.

Hengaw said 75 people were injured on Monday.

A video posted on Twitter by Hengaw showed protesters throwing rocks while a man could be heard saying "there is a war in Divandarreh" and accusing the police of attacking.

Internet blockage observatory NetBlocks reported "near-total disruption to internet connectivity in Sanandaj" - the provincial capital of the Kurdish region - on Monday, linking it to the protests, according to its Twitter account.

While Hengaw reported deadly force by security forces in the Kurdish region, there were no immediate reports of protest fatalities in other parts of Iran.

Videos on social media showed demonstrations in Tehran and spreading to cities such as Rasht, Mashhad and Isfahan.

Footage has been shown on social media of rioting following Ms Amini's death (Twitter)

One clip shared on Twitter showed police cars with their windows smashed in Tehran, as a nearby security forces' vehicle fired water canon towards protesters.

"People throwing rocks have advanced against the police. Death to the dictator!" a woman can be heard saying.

Other footage showed women removing their headscarves in the streets and chanting "death to the Islamic republic!"

It marks some of Iran's worst unrest since street clashes that began in late 2021 over water shortages.

The United States demanded accountability for Amini's death. "Mahsa Amini's death after injuries sustained while in police custody for wearing an 'improper' hijab is an appalling and egregious affront to human rights," a White House spokesperson said.

France condemned her arrest, "and the violence that caused her death", the foreign ministry said, calling for a transparent investigation.

Many people have taken to the streets to complain at the way Ms Amini died in custody (AFP via Getty Images)

Earlier on Monday, Tehran Police commander Hossein Rahimi said "cowardly accusations" had been made against police, that Amini suffered no physical harm, and the police had "done everything" to keep her alive.

"This incident was unfortunate for us and we wish to never witness such incidents," Rahimi said.

Offenders against Iran's sharia, or Islamic law, and hijab rules face fines or arrest. But activists have recently urged women to remove veils despite the hardline rulers' crackdown on "immoral behaviour".

Amini's death could raise tension between the establishment and the Kurdish minority.

Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards have put down unrest in the country's Kurdish areas for decades, and many Kurdish activists have been sentenced to long jail terms or death.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.