22-year-old Mahsa Amini died after entering into a coma in police custody.
Iran has seen widespread protests following the death of a young woman who had been detained by the morality police.
As the BBC reports, there have been protests around the country for five nights in a row following the death of Mahsa Amini on Friday morning.
The 22-year-old had been taken into custody by the police because she had been accused of breaking the morality police’s laws surrounding hair covering and dress. It’s understood that she fell into a coma while in jail and subsequently passed away.
The Iranian police claim that she suffered a “sudden heart failure”, yet there have been reports that she was beaten with a baton and that her head was banged against a vehicle.
Since her death, women in Iran have been protesting the country’s morality laws. Across 15 cities, many have been holding demonstrations in which they burn their hijabs and cut their hair in public.
The country’s media has claimed that police have clashed with the public, resulting in injuries and the death of a police assistant. The governor of Kurdistan, where Ms Amini was from, has claimed that three people have been killed in protests in the region.
According to RTÉ, 15 protestors have been arrested, and the Iranian police have been using tear gas to disperse crowds.
The death of Ms Amini has received global condemnation.
Nada al-Nashif, the Acting UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, has called for an investigation of her death by an independent competent authority.
She said: “Mahsa Amini’s tragic death and allegations of torture and ill-treatment must be promptly, impartially and effectively investigated by an independent competent authority, that ensures, in particular, that her family has access to justice and truth.”
She also confirmed that the UN has received a number of verified videos showing the violent mistreatment of women in Iran.
