Protests in Iran over the death of a young woman in police custody continued on Thursday in a number of cities, as a human rights group reported that at least 83 people had been killed since demonstrations erupted nearly two weeks ago.
Mahsa Amini, 22, from the town of Saqez, was arrested this month in Tehran for "unsuitable attire" by the morality police that enforces the Islamic Republic's strict dress code for women and died in their custody.
Her death has sparked the first big show of opposition on Iran's streets since authorities crushed protests against a rise in gasoline prices in 2019.
Critics accuse the morality police of brutality. The police reject the accusations and the country's Interior Ministry has said they were not to blame, claiming the young woman died of heart failure at the police station.
"At least 83 people including children, are confirmed to have been killed in (the) #IranProtests," Iran Human Rights, a Norway-based group, said on Twitter.
Despite the growing death toll and a fierce crackdown by authorities, videos posted on Twitter showed demonstrators calling for the fall of the clerical establishment in Tehran, Qom, Rasht, Sanandaj, Masjed-i-Suleiman and other cities.
State television said police had arrested a large number of "rioters," without giving figures.
The pro-reform Hammihan newspaper reported on Thursday on Telegram that journalist Elahe Mohammadi had been summoned by the judicial authorities and arrested on the way there for reporting on the protests, becoming the latest reporter detained for covering the demonstrations.
The Iranian Journalists' Association has repeatedly called for the immediate release of all reporters who have been detained for covering the protests. No figures have been released, but dozens may have been arrested.
Supporting the protests, or reporting on them could incite further unrest and therefore can be seen as a crime, according to the Iranian judiciary.
Eyewitnesses in the capital have said both security forces and protesters have become increasingly violent.
In response, the government has severely restricted internet access, making it difficult to establish what is happening on the ground.
Meanwhile, Germany's foreign minister said on Thursday she wanted the European Union to impose sanctions on Iran following Amini's death.
In Norway, several people attempted to enter the Iranian Embassy in Oslo during an angry demonstration in which two people sustained light injuries, Norwegian police said. Police detained 95 people, public broadcaster NRK reported.
