Concern over the Iranian government’s handling of demonstrations caused by the death in detention of a woman being held for violating hijab laws has been expressed by the UN.
As men, women, and children took to the streets of Kurdistan province for a fourth day on Monday, security personnel reportedly opened fire, killing three people, according to human rights organizations.
Tehran also saw demonstrations.
The UN urged Iran’s leaders to allow peaceful demonstrations and launch an impartial probe into the woman’s death.
Women are holding the torch of the protests in #Iran, women in Saqez, taking off their headscarves, in Tehran they chasing a water cannon, to shouting to say that the riot police is running away… as many observers predicted, women are the leaders of the movement. #MahsaAmini pic.twitter.com/h4XkvnMJ5e
— Rana Rahimpour (@ranarahimpour) September 19, 2022
Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old ethnic Kurd from the western city of Saqez, died in hospital on Friday after spending three days in a coma.
She was with her brother in Tehran on Tuesday when she was arrested by the morality police, who accused her 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.
Acting UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Nada Al-Nashif said there were reports that Ms Amini was beaten on the head with a baton by morality police officers and that her head was banged against one of their vehicles.
The police have denied that she was mistreated and said she suffered “sudden heart failure”. But her family has said she was fit and healthy.
“Mahsa Amini’s tragic death and allegations of torture and ill-treatment must be promptly, impartially, and effectively investigated by an independent competent authority, that ensures, in particular, that her family has access to justice and truth,” Ms Al-Nashif said.
She noted that the UN had received “numerous, and verified, videos of violent treatment of women” as morality police expanded their street patrols in recent months to crack down on those perceived to be wearing “loose hijab”.
“The authorities must stop targeting, harassing, and detaining women who do not abide by the hijab rules,” she added, calling for their repeal.
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.