17 dead as anti-hijab protests spread in Iran; Tehran slaps internet curbs

NGO Claims At Least 31 Civilians Killed

Atleast 17 people have been killed as popular unrest has flared across Iran over the death in custody of Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini, while a rights group said on Thursday the death toIl was almost twice as high at at least 31. Amini, 22, died last week after her arrest by the Islamic republic's feared morality police for allegedly wearing a hijab in an "improper" way, and news of her death sparked widespread outrage.

"Death to the dictator" and "Woman, life, freedom", protesters have been heard shouting in videos shared widely online during the biggest wave of protests to rock the country in almost three years. Some Iranian women have burnt their scarves and symbolically cut their hair in protest at the strict dress code, in actions echoed in solidarity protests from New York to Istanbul. Unprecedented images have shown protesters defacing or burning images of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.