Five people have died at the hands of Iranian security forces due to protests that erupted over the death of female prisoner Mahsa Amini. Amini was being held in police custody for roughly a week before her death, which Iranian authorities have classified as a heart attack. Human rights monitor Hengaw Organization for Human Rights stated that five individuals were fatally shot during the demonstrations that occurred in the country’s Kurdish region on Monday. In addition, 75 others were injured over the weekend as a result of police violence against the protests. These reports have not been verified by the Iranian government.
Iranian officials released edited security camera footage that appears to show Amini collapsing at a re-education center following her arrest by the Iranian morality police. The authorities claim that the incident occurred after she was taken to receive guidance on her attire. Iran’s morality police are part of the country’s law enforcement tasked with enforcing social rules of the Islamic Republic, such as mandated headscarves in public. Authorities have referred to Amini’s death as an unfortunate incident and have denied all claims that she was harmed while in custody.