UNREST IN IRAN SPREADS
Woman’s death sparks global protests
IRAN has been rocked by nationwide protests following the death of a 22-year-old Kurdish woman who was allegedly tortured and killed by police for failing to adhere to rules on wearing a traditional hijab. The protests spilled over to London and Canada as women there burnt their headscarves and cut their ponytails in protest of the Iranian government’s restrictions.
It all started when Mahsa Amini was approached by the morality police while she was vacationing in Tehran. The young woman was arrested for allegedly violating the country’s strictly enforced dress code, which requires women to cover their hair with a hijab, or headscarf, and their arms and legs with loose clothing. She died three days later after falling into a coma at the detention centre.
Police say Mahsa became ill, had a heart attack and fell into a coma, but the UN is investigating reports that officers beat her with a baton and banged her head against one of their vehicles.
“This could’ve happened to any one of us,” says protester Taraneh, who was once arrested by the morality police and held for five hours.
“The women in Iran aren’t free at all,” she says. “We’re tired of this system.”