Iran: Woman's death in morality police custody to be probed

Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi, on Friday ordered an investigation into the death of a 22-year-old-woman who died days after being arrested by the country's morality police.

Mahsa Amini was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly not complying with strict rules on head coverings for women.

Police said on Thursday that Amini was taken to a hospital after she allegedly had a heart attack while in custody.

They have denied the allegations that she was physically abused after her arrest saying "there was no physical encounter" between officers and Amini.

On closed-circuit footage — also released by police  Amini can be seen falling over after getting up from her seat to speak to an official at a police station. She is then shown being carried away on a stretcher.

'Suspicious' death sparks outrage

Prominent Iranian lawyer Saeed Dehghan described Amini's death as a "murder," saying she had suffered a blow to the head which had caused the base of her skull to fracture.

Her family said she had no history of heart disease.

"The circumstances leading to the suspicious death in custody of 22-year-old young woman Mahsa Amini, which include allegations of torture and other ill-treatment in custody, must be criminally investigated," Amnesty International said.

Several lawmakers said they would raise the case in parliament, while the judiciary said it would form a special task team to investigate.

The president has asked Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi to "investigate the cause of the incident with urgency and special attention.''

Morality police condemned

Under Iran's sharia (Islamic) law women are obliged to cover their hair and wear long, loose-fitting clothes to disguise their figures.

Iran's morality police have been criticized recently for a crackdown on women accused of flouting the law. In 2017 dozens of women publicly took off their headscarves in a wave of protests prompting authorities to adopt stricter measures.

Former pro-reform President Mohammad Khatami said the behavior of the morality police was a "disaster," while outspoken politician and former lawmaker Mahmoud Sadeghi called on Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to speak publicly about Amini's case.

"What does the Supreme Leader, who rightfully denounced US police over the death of George Floyd, say about the Iranian police's treatment of Mahsa Amini?" Sadeghi asked on Twitter.

lo/kb (AP, AFP, Reuters)