Women's challenge to Iran's leaders - 5th October 2022

Iran has seen a wave of protests in the wake of the suspicious death of a 22 year old woman, Mahsa Amini. Taken in by the morality police for her hijab headscarf being worn in an "improper" way, Amini's arrest led to her entering a coma, and three days later doctors declared her to be brain-dead.

Medical evidence indicates her death was down to her being struck on her head with force, say activists. Despite this, the authorities have claimed Amini suffered from pre-existing medical conditions which caused her death.

Demonstrations against Amini's death and women's treatment have ballooned in scale, with protests beginning in Tehran reaching many cities. Women are leading these demonstrations – the most significant unrest in over three years – cutting off their hair and burning headscarves in symbolic defiance of the morality police and Iran's conservative dress code. Growing numbers of men are supporting them.

Protests in solidarity worldwide, from city centres to outpourings on social media, have been growing too. Women are mirroring these acts of defiance, removing headscarves and cutting off their hair.

Meanwhile, the protests are facing a violent backlash from the authorities in Iran, where internet access has been restricted to stifle dissent and limit sharing of images with a global audience. The head of Iran's judiciary has called for decisive action without leniency against the protestors.

Despite the influential Grand Ayatollah Hossein Noori-Hamedani appealing for calm and for people's rights to be respected, there have been over 100 deaths and hundreds of arrests, according to Amnesty International.