These Videos Do Not Show the Moment Mahsa Amini Was Arrested
The Claim
Two videos depict the arrest of Mahsa Amini, who was brutally detained by police in Iran.
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Emerging story
Following Mahsa Amini's death, social media users began circulating two videos that purportedly depict her arrest by the morality police.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the viral claim and discovered it to be misleading.
Misbar discovered the two videos circulating are outdated and unrelated to Mahsa Aminia's arrest after conducting an advanced reverse image search.
Two Old Videos Linked to Mahsa Aminia’s Arrest
The first widely circulated video shows morality police officers arresting a woman and forcing her to ride in the police car.
Our investigation revealed that the video was first shared on Twitter on October 14, 2021, by Masih Alinejad, an Iranian journalist and activist.
The second clip shows three Iranian police officers using excessive force during an attempted arrest of a woman at Tehran's Latyan Dam.
This video first appeared on May 7, 2022, on the BBC News Farsi Instagram account.
The woman seen in the video who was violently detained by police was allegedly charged with having "quantities of grass (marijuana) drugs" in her car, according to Murad Moradi, deputy social police officer of Greater Tehran.
According to an Iranian newspaper, the three agents seen acting violently toward a woman in the Letyan Dam video have been "arrested."
Who Is Mahsa Amini?
After three days in a coma, Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurd from the city of Saqez in the northwest, passed away on Friday at a hospital.
While visiting the capital city of Tehran with her family, she was detained by morality police and accused of violating legislation requiring women to cover their arms and legs with loose clothing and their hair with a hijab.
Reports state that police officers used a baton to strike Ms. Amini in the head and then banged her head against a police vehicle.
Officials from the police department denied brutalizing Ms. Amini and instead blamed "sudden heart failure" for her death.
How Did People React to Mahsa’s Death?
Protests against Amini's death have brought thousands to the streets in cities across Iran, including Tehran, Isfahan, Karaj, Mashhad, Rasht, Saqqes, and Sanandaj.
In response to Amina's murder, female protesters cut off their hair, burned their headscarves, and chanted anti-police chants during the demonstration.
Nine people died in the ongoing protest against the Islamic Republic. A 16-year-old boy was reported killed when police opened fire on demonstrators.
Iran Restricts Internet in Tehran
On September 22, 2022, the Iranian government reportedly halted internet services in some districts of Tehran and Kurdistan. In an attempt to limit the growing popular uprising, the government blocked access to Instagram and WhatsApp.
Thousands of women and feminist activists took to the internet to demand that the Ministry of Education pass formal legislation prohibiting "the imposition of the veil as a condition for academic admission."
Other women posted videos under the hashtag #MahsaAmini in which they protested by having their hair cut short.
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