Iran denies Mahsa Amini died from blows to the body
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Salma Hossein
- . October 8, 2022
- . Update: November 11, 2022 12:40 am
The death of an Iranian Kurdish woman, Mahsa Amini, 22, was caused by illness rather than blows or beatings, Iran’s coroner has said in a medical report.
The Islamic Republic of Iran’s Forensic Organisation said in an official medical report that “Mahsa Amini’s death was not caused by blows to the head or vital organs or limbs of the body.”
The official news agency IRNA said that she died due to multiple organ failure caused by cerebral hypoxia or lack of oxygen to the brain. The coroner’s report said that Amini suffered severe hypoxia because of the ineffective cardio-respiratory resuscitation in the first critical minutes.
Amini was arrested in Tehran, the capital of Iran, on September 13 for allegedly wearing a loose Hijab. The Iranian morality police took her to a detention centre for a “re-education lesson” on Hijab. She died three days later while in custody.
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Amini’s family claimed that she was assaulted in the police van while being driven to a detention centre. Erfan Salih Mortezaee, the cousin of Amini, also said that the morality police beat her at the detention centre. Her cousin also claimed that she died after a “violent blow to the head.” The cousin further said, “They slapped her, they hit her hands and legs with a baton. When they hit her in the head with the baton, she lost consciousness.” Her father also held the police responsible for her death. However, the police denied such claims.
Her death sparked the biggest protests across Iran. After her death, #MahsaAmini also became one of the top hashtags on Twitter. Many women also burned their Hijabs and chopped off their hair.
The protests first emerged in Tehran outside Kasra hospital, where Amini was pronounced dead. After her funeral, protests also erupted outside Saqez Governor’s office. Subsequently, protests spread across Iran.
