In the worst unrest in Tehran in years, there have been battles between Iranian police and anti-government protesters. The protests, on their seventh day, are continuing in many other cities as well as Tehran. The protests were sparked by the death of a woman detained by morality police. Activists say eight protesters were shot and killed overnight.
There are reports of between 11 and 15 people, including security personnel, being killed since the protests began. Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman died in a hospital in Tehran on Friday after being in a coma for 3 days. She had been arrested on September 13 by morality police officers. The police accused her of violating the law requiring women to cover their hair with a hijab and their arms and legs with loose clothing. She collapsed after being taken to a detention center. There are reports that officers beat Ms Amini’s head with a baton, but the police claim there is no evidence of mistreatment and that she suffered “sudden heart failure.” After Ms. Amini’s death, protests sprang up across the country.
Read More: Iran police battle protesters in Tehran as unrest over woman’s death spirals
