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Iran’s foreign ministry said on Sunday it had summoned the British ambassador to protest what it said was a hostile atmosphere created by the Persian-language media in London. The move comes amid violent unrest over the death of a young woman in police custody in Iran.
The state-run Islamic Republic of Iran News Agency reported that the ministry had also summoned Norway’s ambassador to Iran and strongly protested recent remarks by Norwegian parliament president Masood Galahhani.
The death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after being detained by Iran’s ethics police sparked unrest in Iran’s provinces and the capital, Tehran.
Protests over Amini’s death have spread to at least 46 cities, towns and villages in Iran. State television said at least 41 protesters and police had been killed since the protests began on September 17. At least 13 people were killed and more than 1,200 demonstrators were arrested, according to an Associated Press tally of official authorities’ statements.
READ ALSO | More than 700 arrested in Iran, including 60 women in mass anti-hijab protests
Ongoing clashes between demonstrators and security forces continued. A member of the Basij, a volunteer unit of the Iranian Guard, was killed by protesters in Tehran last night, the semi-official Fars news agency reported on Sunday. Another Basij member, who was in a coma after a street clash on Thursday, died in Urmia, West Azerbaijan province, on Sunday, IRNA reported.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry’s website said it summoned the British ambassador to Iran, Simon Shercliffe, on Saturday to protest against hosting a major Persian-language media outlet. The ministry said the news media had sparked riots at the top of their shows and spread riots in Iran.
The Iranian side said that it believes that the news agency’s report is an interference in Iran’s internal affairs and a violation of Iran’s sovereignty.
The crisis in Iran began with public outrage over the death of Amini, who was arrested by Tehran’s ethics police for allegedly wearing her Islamic hijab too loosely. Police say she died of a heart attack and was not abused, but her family doubts it.
Amini’s death sparked strong condemnation from Western countries and the United Nations, as well as solidarity protests abroad. Violent street demonstrations erupted outside the Iranian embassy in London on Sunday, throwing stones at police and arresting five protesters. Some police officers were injured in the skirmish, but the injuries were not serious.
Pro-government rallies were also held in several Iranian cities on Sunday. Thousands attended rallies in the capital, Enkhrab, or Revolution Square, waving Iranian flags. A number of officials, including cabinet spokesman Ali Bahadori Jahromi, attended the rally in Tehran.
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