Iran prepares for counter-demonstrations after protests over Mahsa Amini's death

Mahsa Amini, 22, died after being detained by the Iranian “moral police”. The young woman had been arrested for wearing the hijab “inappropriately”.

Protests in Iran continue; see video

Protests against the death of a young Iranian woman after being detained by moral police have already caused 11 deaths in the country according to authorities and the press.

The news of his death provoked widespread outrage and a wave of protests that, until Thursday (22), left at least 17 dead, including five members of security personnel, according to official data.

However, according to the Iran Center for Human Rights, a New York-based organization, this number is higher. “The authorities recognized the deaths of at least 17 people, but independent sources say 36,” CHRI tweeted on Thursday.

“The balance is expected to increase. International leaders must pressure Iranian authorities to authorize demonstrations without resorting to lethal weapons,” he added.

The Islamic Development Coordination Council of Iran announced nationwide demonstrations in support of the hijab and a conservative dress code for women this Friday, the official IRNA news agency reported.

According to the Kurdish rights group Hengaw, based in Olso, security forces fired “semi-heavy weapons” at protesters during nighttime clashes in the northern town of Oshnavih.

(With AFP)