The wave of outrage over the death of the young woman arrested for not wearing the hijab continues. The father denies rumors that his daughter suffered from preexisting “chronic illnesses.” From social networks to the streets, there is a feeling of anger against the abuses of the security forces, who reject the accusations and brand them as “cowards”.
Tehran () – In the face of a wave of popular indignation over the death of the young Mahsa Amini, and a fury that spreads from social networks to the streets, the Iranian police are fighting back and speaking of an “unfortunate incident” in an attempt to lower the tension, but all is in vain. According to the semi-official news agency FarsCommander Hossein Rahimi, head of Tehran’s security forces, this morning rejected what he calls “cowardly accusations” made against “Iranian police.” He says that he awaits “the result of the investigation” into an event that must not be repeated, but at the same time points out that “we will not stop working to protect security.”
Originally from Iranian Kurdistan, the 22-year-old woman (in the photo) died while on vacation in Tehran, after being arrested by the “morality police” for not wearing the hijab correctly, the mandatory veil. The death of the young woman raised a wave of indignation and protest. Even the ultra-conservative president Ebrahim Raisi had to bow to the opening of an investigation in an attempt to contain popular discontent.In the hours immediately after the death of the young woman, the authorities spoke of a “heart attack”, but her family denounced a “brutal beating” which left her in a coma from which she never recovered.
Throughout the day yesterday the protests against death multiplied, and the hashtags #MahsaAmini was one of the most commented and spread on the Internet, especially on Twitter in the Persian language, taking up the issue of women’s rights and the obligation to wear the veil. By night, there were nearly 1.7 million mentions on the popular social network.
Recently, the authorities of the Islamic Republic introduced the facial recognition to identify -and punish- those who violate the controversial rule.
In an interview with the reformist website emty, the girl’s father lashed out at the authorities for spreading the news that his daughter “suffered from chronic illnesses.” “I strongly deny such claims because my daughter was fit and did not have any health problems,” he said. Also yesterday, hundreds of protesters gathered at Tehran University, shouting slogans such as “Woman, life, freedom!”
The protests and demonstrations (Photo 2) also characterized the young woman’s funeral, which took place on September 17 in her hometown, Saqez. The police intervened at the scene and repressed using riot gear. Shouting “Death to Khamenei”, the protesters threw stones at the image of the supreme leader and set it on fire. To prevent the protests from spreading, the authorities cut internet connections in Saqqez, Sanandaj and other parts of the country. Apparently dozens of people were injured in the clashes, but local authorities did not confirm the reports.
According to Sharia (Islamic law) in Iran, women are required to cover their hair with a veil and wear long, loose clothing. Those who break the rule are subject to public reprimands, fines and even arrests. In recent months, several activist groups have launched a campaign against forced hijab, urging women to remove it despite police crackdowns – religious and otherwise – for alleged “immoral behaviour”.
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