Iran swept with RIOTS as cops open fire & blast protesters with water cannon over savage death of woman battered by cops

 

Iran has swept into riots over the brutal death of a woman who was beaten to death by police for not following the country's strict hijab rules.

Mahsa Amini, 22, was declared brain dead after she was caught and beaten into a coma for not covering her hair with a headscarf.

For the third day, hundreds of protesters took to the streets in Tehran and the Kurdistan region where Mahsa lives, demanding justice for her death.

The protests erupted after she was buried in her hometown of Saqqaz, western Iran, on Saturday.

Policemen opened fire on demonstrators in Sanandaj, the capital of Kurdistan Region.

Water cannons were used to try to disperse the growing crowds elsewhere.

Video footage showed brave women taking off their headscarves in the streets and chanting "Death to the Islamic Republic!"

Other women have defiantly photographed themselves cutting their hair and lighting their headscarves.

Dozens were arrested after protesters smashed car windows and burned boxes as tensions flared with police.

Mahsa traveled from western Kurdistan province to meet relatives in the capital, Tehran.

According to the Iranian police, she was not following the strict dress code, which legally requires women in Iran to wear the hijab, and was detained by the "morality police".

She died in hospital hours after her arrest after reportedly being beaten to death.

According to a leaked survey, Mahsa reportedly suffered a skull fracture and internal bleeding.

The White House called Mahsa's killing a "horrific and outrageous affront to human rights."

"The death of Mahsa Amini after being injured while in police custody for wearing an 'inappropriate' headscarf is a horrific and outrageous affront to human rights," a spokesperson said.

“Women in Iran should have the right to wear whatever they want without violence or harassment.

"Iran must end its use of violence against women to exercise their fundamental freedoms. There must be accountability for Mahsa's death."

Mahsa's brother Kiarach told IranWire that he was with his sister when she was arrested.

He said that a police car blocked their path before officers caught Mahsa and forced her in.

Kiarch said officers told him his sister would be released an hour later after a "re-education class" — but when he got to the building, he said he heard screaming.

“I showed the women a picture of Mahsa, and one of them said that Mahsa was by her side when it happened.

“I was shocked and scared. I asked one of the soldiers what happened. One of our soldiers was injured,” he said.

"He was lying. I didn't believe him. She was whispering in that ambulance. I ran until I got to Al Kasra Hospital."

Police insisted there was "no physical contact" between the officers and Mahsa - and claimed she died of a heart attack.

Tehran's police chief, General Hossein Rahimi, said the woman had violated the dress code, and his colleagues asked her relatives to bring her "decent clothes".

He dismissed the "unfair accusations of the police" and said "the evidence shows that there was no negligence or improper behavior on the part of the police."

"This is an unfortunate incident and we hope we will not witness such incidents again," he said.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi ordered an investigation into the death and vowed to follow up on the case in a call with the woman's family.