Death toll in Iran protests on the rise

Paris – The death toll from Iran’s wave of popular unrest shot up to at least 31 yesterday as popular anger has flared over the death in custody of the young Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini.

Amini, 22, died last week after she had been arrested by the Islamic republic’s feared morality police for allegedly wearing a hijab headscarf in an “improper” way, sparking widespread outrage.

“Death to the dictator” and “Woman, life, freedom”, protesters could be heard shouting in video footage shared online, during the biggest wave of protests to rock the country in almost three years.

Among those killed in clashes have been police and militia officers, state TV reported, while overseas-based human rights groups reported many more deaths, which could not be independently verified.

Security forces have fired at crowds with birdshot and metal pellets, and also deployed teargas and water cannons, according to Amnesty International and other human rights groups.

There were fears violence could escalate further after Iranian authorities restricted internet access and blocked messaging apps, including WhatsApp and Instagram, as they have done before past crackdowns.

Some women have burnt their scarves and symbolically cut their hair in protest at the strict dress code, in defiant actions echoed in protests abroad. –

Picture: AFP ENOUGH. Iranian demonstrators taking to the streets of the capital Tehran during a protest for Mahsa Amini, days after she died in police custody. Protests spread to 15 cities across Iran overnight over the death of the young woman.