Iran confirms three deaths in protests, blames anti-regime demonstrators

The governor of Iran’s Kurdistan province confirmed on Tuesday the deaths of three people during protests sparked by the death of a young woman in police custody, and the official accused anti-government demonstrators of being responsible for the deaths.

Esmail Zarei-Kousha said three people from different regions in Kurdistan were killed during “illegal gatherings,” adding: “Investigations have shown that these people were shot and killed by the enemies of the regime and with weapons that none of the security and military forces in the province use.”

He did not specify when the deaths occurred.

The governor also accused opposition groups of seeking to kill protesters and blaming it on the regime.

Anti-government protests have erupted across Iran since Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman, was pronounced dead on Friday. Amini fell into a coma shortly after she was detained by the morality police for not complying with the regime’s strict hijab rules in Tehran on September 13.

Activists and protesters say Amini was beaten by police officers while in detention, causing her serious injuries that led to her death. Police deny the allegations.

The protests continued Tuesday in several cities, footage circulating on social media showed.