The death of Mahsa Amini, a young woman who died in custody of Iran’s morality police September 16th 2022, has caused worldwide protests.

Iranian authorities claim that Amini died of heart failure, but her family and protesters across Iran are accusing the government of covering up her murder. Mahsa Amini was arrested on September 13 2022 by the morality police who enforce extreme Islamic dress code. Hijabs are mandatory to wear in public for all women in Iran, despite their religion or nationality. Amini was accused of violating the country’s laws and regulations on hijabs. Iran’s security forces insist that upon her arrest, Amini was taken to a detention center where she received training on hijab rules, and it was there that she collapsed from a heart attack. “Based on objective observations, interviews with witnesses, reports from relevant agencies, and other investigations, there was no beating involved,” Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi said on the country’s broadcasting network.     

Mahsa Amini died on September 16 2022, in a Tehran hospital. Amini’s family disputed their statement and said that the Iranian authorities beat Amini in their patrol car on the way to the detention center and that witnesses saw it happen. Amini’s father told an Iranian news outlet that he wasn’t even allowed to see his daughter’s body in the hospital, but he did catch a glimpse of her foot and it was bruised. Additionally, reports indicate that her death was caused by a skull fracture from  heavy blows to the head.  Protests began after Amini’s funeral on      September 17th in her home region. Most of the protesters are women and children. Iranian women have burned their hijabs and cut their air in public to show solidarity with Amini.        

Staggering videos have gone viral of Iranian authorities assaulting peaceful protesters. Protesters are calling for justice for Amini as well as liability from the country’s government. The protests have spread to more than 80 cities in Iran, which have led to hundreds of arrests and violence against these protesters. 

Since the protests started in mid-September, it’s not clear how many people have died at the hands of the police during the protests. But, Iran Human Rights, a Norway-based nonprofit, reported on October 4th that at least 154 people had died in the protests. What you see with these protesters are people that are fed up with the unfair treatment to women in Middle Eastern countries. Women are tired of their human rights being completely violated by the government in the Middle East.