An Iranian woman died after a fistfight erupted between security forces and a group of people opposed to mandatory hijab regulations in the southern city of Kerman, local media reported.

The fight erupted in a park on April 23 when members of the paramilitary Basij force warned visitors about hijab violations and people came to support women without a headscarf, Rouydad24 news website reported.

It said a 60-year-old woman suffered a cardiac arrest and later died in hospital.

The semi-official Fars news agency confirmed the death but described the conflict as a fight between “several passengers and a group of people.”

Police detained several people in relation to the incident, it said.

The governor of Kerman said that the “mass conflict” was sparked by personal issues.

All women in Iran must conceal their hair with a headscarf and wear loose fitting trousers under their coats while in public.

But a growing number of women have appeared in public without a hijab since a young woman died in police custody in September 2022, triggering nationwide protests demanding more freedoms and women’s rights. Amini had been arrested for allegedly wearing a headscarf improperly.

Some defiant women were arrested or summoned by the authorities, while many businesses were shut down due to the failure of owners or managers to observe hijab rules.

The judiciary claimed that according to the Islamic Penal Code, removing the hijab in public is a “crime,” and police chief Ahmadreza Radan warned that starting on April 15, anyone violating hijab laws in public places, cars and commercial establishments will be prosecuted.

Source » iranwire