On Sunday, most of the country’s newspapers devoted their front pages to the dead. The country was “shocked and angry about what happened to Mahsa Amini,” wrote the reform-oriented newspaper Etemad, denouncing the violence of the vice squad.
The ultra-conservative Kayhan newspaper, on the other hand, wrote that “the rumors and lies that have been thrown out after Mahsa’s death have increased significantly”. A government newspaper criticized the “unfortunate incident” as being used to incite the nation against the government.
Artists, athletes and politicians expressed their anger and dismay in online networks. “The hair of our girls is covered with a shroud,” wrote the players of the national football team on the online service Instagram. “If they are Muslims, may God make me an unbeliever,” commented Bayer Leverkusen forward Sardar Azmoun. On Twitter, the hashtag #Mahsa_Amini was number one as of Sunday afternoon with nearly 1.5 million tweets.
Amnesty International said there were “allegations of torture and other ill-treatment in custody”. The human rights organization called for an investigation into the circumstances of the woman’s “suspicious” death.
The US government blamed the Iranian authorities for the death, calling it “unforgivable”. White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan cited reports that Amini was beaten in police custody.
Since shortly after the Islamic revolution of 1979, women in Iran, regardless of their nationality or religion, have had to cover their hair in public. However, over the past two decades, many women in Tehran and other major cities have casually interpreted the regulations, allowing strands or more of their hair to peek out of their veils.