At the funeral of a woman who passed away after being detained by Iran’s morality police, protests erupted.
Mahsa Amini, 22, passed away on Friday, days after Tehran police vehemently disputed claims that she had been abused in a police van by eyewitnesses there.
According to reports, several of the attendees of the ceremony took off their hijabs in opposition to the need that they do so.
Funeral goers shouted “death to the tyrant,” and films later showed police opening fire on a gathering.
The funeral was held in Saqez, Ms. Amini’s hometown in Kurdistan’s western province.
According to videos published on social media, locals gathered very early in the morning to prevent Iranian security forces from rushing through the burial in secret to avoid protests.
Mahsa Amini, 22, who died in the custody of Iran’s morality police over forced hijab rules, was buried in her hometown of Saqqez, Kurdistan province, today.
Her funeral turned into a scene of large protests, violently confronted by security forces. pic.twitter.com/DqVjbSjIhE
— Shayan Sardarizadeh (@Shayan86) September 17, 2022
There were also reports of injuries and arrests. In videos published on Twitter, security forces can be seen guarding the governor’s office and arresting protesters trying to get close to the building.
A picture of Ms Amini’s gravestone was published on social media. It reads: “You didn’t die. Your name will be a code [rallying call].”
Ms Amini was arrested on Tuesday by the morality police for allegedly not complying with the strict dress code on head coverings.
According to eyewitnesses, she was beaten while inside a police van and slipped into a coma later.
Iranian police denied the allegations, saying she had “suffered a sudden heart failure”.
Kasra Hospital in Northern Tehran said in a statement that Ms Amini was admitted on 13 September showing “no vital signs”.
The statement was later removed from the hospital’s social media after hardline social media accounts accused hospital staff of being “anti-regime agents”.
Iranian TV also aired CCTV footage of Ms Amini under arrest. Human rights activists accused state TV of censoring the footage to create a false story.
According to Netblocks, a watchdog organization that monitors cybersecurity and internet governance, the internet connection has been disrupted in various locations in Iran since news of Ms Amini’s death came out, including in the capital, Tehran, and Saqez.
Many users said they could not upload videos on Instagram or send content over WhatsApp.
Iranian state-controlled Sharq newspaper reported that Tehran’s very low internet speed disrupted the stock market on Saturday.
There were also reports of injuries and arrests. In videos published on Twitter, security forces can be seen guarding the governor’s office and arresting protesters trying to get close to the building.
A picture of Ms Amini’s gravestone was published on social media. It reads: “You didn’t die. Your name will be a code [rallying call].”
Ms Amini was arrested on Tuesday by the morality police for allegedly not complying with the strict dress code on head coverings.
According to eyewitnesses, she was beaten while inside a police van and slipped into a coma later.
Iranian police denied the allegations, saying she had “suffered a sudden heart failure”.
Ebrahim Raisi, Iran’s hardline president, has asked the ministry of the interior to launch an investigation into the death.
Kasra Hospital in Northern Tehran said in a statement that Ms Amini was admitted on 13 September showing “no vital signs”.
The statement was later removed from the hospital’s social media after hardline social media accounts accused hospital staff of being “anti-regime agents”.
Iranian TV also aired CCTV footage of Ms Amini under arrest. Human rights activists accused state TV of censoring the footage to create a false story.
According to Netblocks, a watchdog organization that monitors cybersecurity and internet governance, the internet connection has been disrupted in various locations in Iran since news of Ms Amini’s death came out, including in the capital, Tehran, and Saqez.
Many users said they could not upload videos on Instagram or send content over WhatsApp.
Iranian state-controlled Sharq newspaper reported that Tehran’s very low internet speed disrupted the stock market on Saturday.