Tehran: Iranian police described the death of Mahsa Amini in custody as an “unfortunate accident” that they hope is not repeated, the Iranian Fars news agency reported.
22-year-old Mahsa Amini, fell into a coma and died following her arrest by Iran’s morality police for wearing the hijab in an ‘improper manner’ meaning she had not fully covered her hair.
She was then allegedly assaulted in the police van while being driven to a detention centre for a “re-education lesson”.
Greater Tehran Police Chief Hossein Rahimi said, “Minimal accusations have been brought against the Iranian police. We will wait until the day the verdict is issued, but we cannot stop performing security work.”
Street protests and anger on social media
The protest continued in Iran on Sunday after the announcement of Amini’s death, and the hashtag #mahsamini in Persian has become most popular on Twitter.
Videos posted online showed hundreds of protesters gathering on Sunday around Tehran University, chanting “Women, life, freedom.”
The Persian hashtag #mahsamini was circulated 1.63 million times on Twitter as of Sunday afternoon.
Iranian security forces used tear gas to disperse a demonstration in the northwest of the country and made several arrests.
As per media reports, protesters had smashed car windows and set fire to rubbish bins on the streets.
The internet connection has been disrupted in various locations in Iran since news of Amini’s death came out, Netblocks, a watchdog organisation that monitors internet governance, tweeted on Saturday.
Many users said that they could not upload videos on Instagram or send content over WhatsApp.
On Sunday, Iranian journalist and human rights activist Masih Alinejad posted footage of what she described as a protest at Tehran University in solidarity with Amini.
US National Security Adviser described what happened to the girl as “unforgivable” and pledged to continue to hold Iranian officials accountable for human rights violations.
In turn, Amnesty International called for a criminal investigation into the circumstances of the death.
Hijab was imposed on women in Iran after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and members of the morality police enforce strict dress codes. The authority has been criticized in recent years for its treatment of people, especially young women.
Since 2017, after dozens of women publicly removed their headscarves in a wave of protests, authorities have taken even tougher measures.
