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DUBAI, September 16 (Portal) – A young Iranian woman has died after falling into a coma after being arrested by morality police enforcing Iran’s strict hijab rules, sparking protests by Iranians in the social on Friday Media and on the street triggered.
In recent months, Iranian rights activists have urged women to publicly remove their veils, a gesture that would risk their arrest for defying the Islamic dress code, as the country’s hard-line rulers crack down on “immoral behavior.” Continue reading
Videos posted on social media showed incidents of what appeared to be brutal actions by morality police units against women who had removed their hijab.
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Authorities opened an investigation into Mahsa Amini’s death following a request from President Ebrahim Raisi, state media reported on Friday, when police said the 22-year-old had fallen ill while waiting at a morality police station along with other detained women.
“Based on detailed investigations, there has been no physical encounter with her since her transfer to the vehicle and also at the location (train station),” the police said in a statement, denying allegations on social media that Amini was likely beaten
Closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage broadcast by state television appeared to show a woman, identified as Amini, who fell after getting up from her seat to speak to an officer at a police station. Portal could not authenticate the video.
Police previously said Amini suffered a heart attack after being taken to the station to be “persuaded and enlightened,” state television said, dismissing allegations that she had been beaten. Her relatives have denied that she suffered from a heart condition.
Amid critical comments on social media, outspoken reformist politician Mahmoud Sadeghi took to Twitter to urge Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to comment on the case, as he denounced the 2020 US police killing of George Floyd.
Posts on social media included videos showing protesters chanting “Death to the dictator (Khamenei)” while drivers honked their car horns to stop protests in a Tehran square near Amini’s hospital amid a heavy police presence support.
US Special Envoy to Iran Robert Malley said on Twitter: “The death of Mahsa Amini from injuries sustained while in custody for wearing an ‘improper’ hijab is appalling… Those responsible for her death should be held accountable to be pulled.”
The human rights organization Amnesty International said on Twitter: “… Allegations of torture and other ill-treatment in detention must be criminally investigated … All responsible agents and officials must be brought to justice.”
Under Iranian (Islamic) Sharia law, imposed after the 1979 revolution, women are required to cover their hair and wear long, loose-fitting clothing to hide their figure. Violators face public reprimand, fines or arrest.
Decades after the revolution, clerical rulers are still struggling to enforce the law. Many women of all ages and backgrounds wear tight-fitting, thigh-length coats and colorful scarves pushed back to reveal a lot of hair.
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Reporting by Dubai newsroom, additional reporting by Arshad Mohammed in Saint Paul, Minnesota; Editing by William Maclean and Jonathan Oatis
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