International protests after the death of a young woman in Iran

International protests after the death of a young woman in Iran

Iranian activist and doctoral student Saeideh Mirzaei cuts her hair on a university campus in Canada in an act of defiance as part of international protests after the death of a young woman in Iran.

The U.S. Treasury Department announced new sanctions against seven Iranian security and morality police officials on Thursday, accusing them of violating the rights of women, civil society activists and peaceful protesters.

The new sanctions target the head of Iran's notorious morality police, Mohammad Rostami Cheshmeh Gachi, and the force's director for Tehran, Haj Ahmad Mirzaei. Mirzaei has reportedly been suspended from his post following protests over the death of a young Iranian woman, Mahsa Amini, under his watch.

Amini, 22, was pronounced dead at a hospital on September 16 after spending three nights at a morality detention center in Tehran where she was allegedly tortured for not properly wearing a headscarf.

The U.S. sanctions also target Esmail Khatib, Iran's minister of intelligence, Salar Abnoush, deputy commander of the Basij forces, Qasem Rezaei, deputy commander of Law Enforcement

Forces (LEF), Manouchehr Amanollahi, an LEF provincial commander, and Kiyumars Heidari, the commander of the Iranian army's ground forces.