Viral Video: Sister Of Iranian Man Killed During Protests Chops Hair During Funeral

Anti-hijab protests erupted in Iran following the tragic death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. A video of a man’s funeral, who allegedly died in the crackdown on the protests has been shared on social media where his sister is seen cutting her hair off over his grave.

Mahsa Amini was arrested by Iran’s morality police for her allegedly “loose scarf” and died in custody. Widespread protests took place following her death and female Iranian protestors cut off their hair and burnt their hijabs to express their anger over Amini’s death and the country’s strict “hijab rules”.

Woman Chops Hair Over Brother Grave

In the video, the funeral of Javad Heydari, the man allegedly killed in the suppression of protests can be seen. Grieving women throw flowers onto the grave while Heydari’s sister cuts off her hair and places it over his grave.

The video posted by anti-government monitoring group 1500 Tasvir said in the caption, "Javad Heydari's sister, who is one of the victims of the protests against the murder of #Mahsa_Amini, cuts her hair at her brother's funeral".

According to Iran’s state media, at least 41 people, including police, have died since the protests began, but human rights groups say the real death toll is higher. Crackdown against the protests includes the use of live ammunition against protestors and internet restrictions.

The internet monitoring group Netblocks said on September 25 that a “nation-scale disruption to Mobinet” was detected. Mobinet is one of the largest mobile network operators in Iran. Netblocks had also said that access to social media platforms such as Instagram, WhatsApp, and Skype have already been blocked.

Iran’s President Ebrahmin Raisi said that over 700 people have been arrested so far, including protestors, activists, and journalists. According to Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the press freedom monitoring group, at least 17 journalists have been arrested.

Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei “emphasised the need for decisive action without leniency” against instigators of the “riots”.

Iran protests have persisted regardless of internet restrictions and suppression of the protests.

Suggested Reading: Protests In Iran Over Hijab Rule: How Men Are Supporting Women