Iranian authorities arrest Austrian citizen as 15-year-old girl dies after raid

Anti-government protests continue following death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini

Demonstrators chant slogans during the March of Solidarity for Iran in Washington. AFP

Another group of demonstrators at the march. AFP

A protest in support of Iranian women in Barcelona. Reuters

Iranian citizens and locals joined in the Barcelona protest. Reuters

People attend a demonstration in solidarity with Mahsa Amini and other Iranian women in Castello Square, Turin. EPA

A person places a candle during the demonstration in Turin. EPA

A protester holds a pre-Islamic Revolution Iranian flag during a demonstration in Brussels in support of the Iranians fighting for their freedom. AFP

A protester wearing a top with a logo that reads 'No to an Islamic state" as she takes part in a rally in support of the Iranian people, in Brussels. AFP

People wave the Shah-era Iranian flag during a protest in Paris. AFP

A woman shows her true colours in the protest against the Iranian government, in Paris. AFP

A woman holds a flag, as people protest against the Iranian regime outside Iran's embassy in central London. Reuters

Supporters of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) carry placards and wave party flags in Beirut, during a protest against the death of Ms Amini. EPA

People demonstrate against the Iranian government outside the Houses of Parliament in London following the death of Amini. Reuters

A mural in Paris depicts women cutting their hair to show support for Iranian protesters. AP

People take part in a rally against the Iranian government in Vancouver, Canada, on Saturday. AP

Protesters take to the streets of Tehran. EPA

Iranian protesters run after clashing with with police. EPA

A protester shaves their head outside the Houses of Parliament in London. Reuters

Iranians living in Athens hold a protest in solidarity. AFP

People take part in a rally in The Hague. AFP

A woman cuts her hair during a demonstration in Santiago, Chile, by feminist groups and Iranian migrants in support of Iranian women following the death of Amini. AFP

Members of feminist groups and Iranian migrants during the protests in Santiago. AFP

Iranian activists shout slogans during a protest against the government in Tehran, in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. EPA

A protester holds a painted portrait of Mahsa Amini in Berlin, Germany. EPA

A protester shows red paint on her face, resembling blood splatters and bloody handprints next to the national Iranian emblem, during a rally in Berlin. EPA

Iranian protesters shout slogan during a protest in Istanbul, Turkey. EPA

A woman holds a sign during a protest against the Iranian government, in front of the country's embassy in Madrid, Spain. The protests were triggered by the death of a young Iranian woman, Mahsa Amini, in police custody. Reuters

A woman cuts her hair during the protest in front of the Iranian embassy in Madrid. Reuters

Israelis show their support for women in Iran as they hold up placards of Amini during a protest in Jerusalem. EPA

Amini, 22, was arrested in Tehran on September 13, 2022, by the morality police. She fell into a coma while in police custody and was declared dead on September 16. EPA

People walk by graffiti in support of the protests triggered by Amini's death, in Jerusalem. EPA

A protest in Nantes, western France, after the death of Amini in Iranian police custody. AFP

Women gather for a demonstration in Barcelona, Spain. AFP

Demonstrators in Nantes. Amini's death has sparked a global protest movement. AFP

Women protest outside the town hall in in Montpellier, southern France. AFP

A woman at a protest in Catalunya Square, Barcelona. Reuters

Campaigners and football fans protest at a Champions League match between Porto and Bayer Leverkusen at the Dragao stadium in Portugal. EPA

People hold placards during a demonstration in solidarity with the Iranian people near the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France. EPA

An Iranian woman living in Turkey with 'Freedom' written on her forehead takes part in a protest near the Iranian consulate in Istanbul. Reuters

In Barcelona, protesters take part in a demonstration in support of Iranian women. AFP

A Lebanese activist takes part in a protest in Beirut, triggered by the death of Amini, 22. AP

A Turkish protester takes off her head scarf while giving a performance in Instanbul during a protest against Iran over Amini's death. Getty

A woman in Istanbul cuts her hair during a protest against Iran. Getty

A Lebanese activist holds a poster depicting Amini during a protest in Beirut organised by feminist groups in support of women protesters in Iran. EPA

Demonstrators in Los Angeles, California, hold the Iranian flag during a protest against the government in Tehran. AFP

Demonstrators hold placards in Mexico City during a protest against Iran. Reuters

People demonstrate in Montreal, Canada, during a protest triggered by Amini's death. AFP

Iranian Americans participate in a rally in central Los Angeles, in solidarity with women in Iran. AP

Demonstrators march during a protest in Los Angeles, California. AFP

A woman with the colours of the Iranian flag painted on her face participates in a rally as thousands demonstrate in support of Iranian women in Los Angeles. EPA

Australians protest over Amini's death in Melbourne. EPA

Police block protesters from entering Iran's embassy in Oslo, Norway. EPA

Demonstrators in front of the European headquarters of the UN in Geneva, Switzerland, during a rally against Iran. EPA

A candlelight vigil for Amini in Los Angeles. AFP

Afghan women hold placards as they take part in a protest in front of the Iranian embassy in Kabul. AFP

Protestors take part in a rally outside the Iranian consulate in Istanbul. AFP

An Iranian woman shows a lock of hair she cut off during a protest outside the Iranian consulate in Istanbul. EPA

Demonstrators outside the Iranian consulate in Istanbul. Getty

Iranian Americans rally on Capitol Hill in Washington to show support for protesters in Iran. AFP

Protesters on Capitol Hill hold a sign condemning the crackdown by Tehran. AFP

German demonstrators gather in Berlin after the death of Amini in Iranian police custody. AP

A protester cries during a rally in Berlin. Reuters

A demonstration in Madrid, Spain. Thousands have gathered in cities across Europe to support protests in Iran. AP

Demonstrators gather outside the Iranian embassy in Madrid. Reuters

People take part in a protest in Lausanne, Switzerland. EPA

Protesters hold signs featuring images of Amini during the protest in the western Swiss city. EPA

Demonstrators in front of the Iranian embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina. EPA

An activist outside the Iranian embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with a sign that reads 'Justice for Mahsa Amini'. AFP

A demonstration against violence in Iran is held in Quito, Ecuador. The Iranian community in Ecuador protested outside the Iranian embassy. EPA

Protesters at a demonstration outside the Iranian embassy in Quito, Ecuador. EPA

Austria said on Thursday that Iran has arrested one of its citizens while an Iranian teachers union confirmed that a teenaged girl was killed during a raid by security forces.

Iranian security forces arrested 14 foreigners “in recent riots” across the country, officials said on Wednesday, as the government blamed “thugs” linked to “foreign enemies” for nationwide protests.

Those arrested include Afghan, American, British, Austrian and French citizens, according to the state news agency Fars.

Details of when or where the arrests of the foreigners took place were not disclosed.

Anti-government protests have rocked the country following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini on September 16 while she was in police custody.

The Austrian foreign ministry said the arrest of one of its citizens was not connected to the demonstrations.

“The Iranian authorities have confirmed the arrest of an Austrian citizen. We urge the authorities in Tehran to clarify the circumstances behind his arrest,” the ministry said in a statement.

“According to the Iranian authorities he is accused of a crime unrelated to the demonstrations that have taken place continuously since the death of Mahsa Amini,” the ministry said, adding that it would provide consular assistance to the person, who it did not name.

Teenage girl dies

The arrests came as a teacher's union in Iran said on Thursday that a 15-year-old Iranian girl died last week after being beaten during a raid by the security forces at her school.

They called on authorities to stop killing “innocent” protesters.

Asra Panahi died on October 13, after “plainclothes officers attacked” Shahed High School in the north-western city of Ardabil, the Co-ordinating Council of Teachers Syndicates alleged.

The pupils had been taken into town for an “ideological event” at a spot known to be a centre for protests.

The union said that some of the pupils, who started “chanting slogans against discrimination and inequality”, were “subjected to violence".

They were beaten again after returning to school, the union said.

Iranians protests the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after she was detained by the morality police, in Tehran. AP

“After that one of the pupils named Asra Panahi unfortunately passed away in hospital and a number of students were arrested,” it said, adding that the beating left another pupil in a coma.

State television later aired an interview with her uncle in which he said she died of heart failure.

The development follows the rejection by lawyers for Ms Amini’s family of an official Iranian medical report that found her death was not caused by beatings.

“The lawyers rejected the forensic doctor’s report in their statement of defence,” one of the lawyers acting for the parents, Saleh Nikbakht, told Etemad newspaper.

Her parents called for “the re-examination of the cause of death by another commission in the presence of [other] doctors”.

“Without clarifying the investigation process and the role of the person or persons involved in the arrest and transfer of Mahsa to the morality police headquarters, it is not possible to defend the rights of the parents, and … to resolve the ambiguities about the cause of death,” Mr Nikbakht said.

A coalition of human rights groups, including Amnesty International, said on Monday that the security forces' crackdown on the Amini protests had killed at least 23 children.

Teenage boy Abolfazl Adinezadeh shot to death at point-blank range

Security forces killed a teenage boy with a shotgun at point-blank range in Mashhad, the BBC has reported.

Abolfazl Adinezadeh, 17, joined anti-government protests instead of going to school on October 8, but never returned home, the report said.

Authorities have not commented on the incident.

His death certificate was obtained by the BBC. It said he died from liver and kidney damage caused by birdshot.

A doctor said the rifle was fired from less than a metre away, the report said.

"What crime had he committed, that you sprayed his stomach with 24 birdshot?" Abolfazl's father said at his funeral, a video showed.

It was not until the day after the protests that the education ministry called his parents and told them to pick him up from the local police station.

When they got there, they were told he was dead, the report said.