New Delhi: A young Iranian woman who went into a coma after being arrested by the notorious morality police in Tehran died on Friday in mysterious circumstances, reported news agency AFP. Activists are demanding strict action againsy those responsible for her “suspicious” death.
Mahsa Amini, 22, was visiting the Iranian capital with her family when she was detained on Tuesday by the police unit in charge of enforcing the Islamic republic’s strict dress code for women, which includes the mandatory wearing of the headscarf in public.
“Unfortunately, she died, and her body was transferred to the medical examiner’s office,” according to Iranian state television.
What Happened To Masha Amini?
According to her family, the previously healthy Amini was rushed to hospital in a coma a few hours after her arrest and had now died, as per Persian-language media such as the Iran Wire website and the Shargh newspaper.
What happened between her arrival at the police station and her departure for the hospital is still unknown. According to the 1500tavsir channel, which monitors violations in Iran, she was hit in the head.
Images shared on social media showed crowds gathering outside the hospital where she was being treated, with police attempting to disperse them. Later that evening, people were seen angrily shouting anti-regime slogans in Tehran, reported AFP.
Incident Condemned
“Three days before her death, the so-called “morality police” in Tehran arbitrarily arrested her while enforcing the country’s abusive, degrading, and discriminatory forced veiling laws. All responsible agents and officials must face justice ,” said Amnesty International, according to AFP.
On Twitter, prominent Iranian lawyer Saeed Dehghan called Amini’s death a “murder,” claiming she was hit in the head and the base of her skull fractured.
چه کسانی در قتل #مهسا_امينى مسئولند؟
١- کسی که با ضربه به سر این دختر جوان، باعث شکستگی قاعده جمجمهاش شده؛ مامور
۲- احمد میرزایی، رئیس پلیس امنیت اخلاقی و مسئول #گشت_ارشاد؛ آمر
۳- فرمانده کل نیروهای مسلح؛ رهبر
نکته: قاعده «امر آمر قانونی»، مجوز اقدام به امر غیرقانونی نیست!
— Saeid Dehghan (@vakilroaya) September 16, 2022
The US envoy for Iran, Robert Malley, who is involved in efforts to resurrect the 2015 nuclear deal, said those responsible for her death “must be held accountable.”
“It is appalling that Mahsa Amini died as a result of injuries sustained in custody for wearing a ‘improper’ hijab,” he wrote on Twitter. “Iran must stop harassing women for exercising their fundamental rights.”
On Friday, state television aired footage purportedly showing her falling to the ground inside a large hall full of women while arguing with one of the female instructors about her attire.
Tehran police said in a statement on Friday that “there was no physical encounter” between officers and Amini.
Amini was one of several women who were taken to a police station on Tuesday for “instruction” on the dress code. “She suddenly fainted while with other visitors in the hall,” the statement by the police read, as reported by AFP.
Earlier, President Ebrahim Raisi directed that an investigation into Amini’s case be launched.
Hadi Ghaemi, the director of the New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran, called her death a “preventable tragedy.”
“The Iranian government is to blame. She was arrested and died in state custody under the guise of the state’s discriminatory forced-hijab law “He stated.
