Iran Protests Death Toll Hits 83; More Women Remove Hijabs In Public [Videos]

More than 80 people have been killed in Iran during the two weeks of protests sparked by the death of a young woman in police custody, Norway-based organization Iran Human Rights (IHR) said.

According to IHR, at least 83 people have already died in the protests, including children. The organization did not specify how many children have been killed, Reuters reported.

Apart from the deaths, the rights group also said that dozens of activists and students have been detained following the protests. As of Thursday, at least 28 journalists were also arrested in connection with the demonstrations, the Committee to Protect Journalists said in a Twitter post, noting that details about people who are arrested are sparse amid an internet blackout.

In conjunction with the widespread demonstrations, many Iranian women have begun taking off their hijabs in public, with others burning their headscarves during protests.

The protests in Iran began on Sept. 16 after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini who was detained by the morality police on the streets of Tehran. The morality police did not offer an explanation for why Amini was detained but said it involved the hijab rule. Under Iran's "hijab and chastity" law, girls and women over the age of 9 are required to wear a headscarf in public.

In an interview, Amini's mother said her daughter was observing Iran's hijab rules, adding that she was wearing a long, loose robe.

Amini died while in custody. The morality police later issued a statement claiming Amini suffered from cardiac arrest while receiving education training on Iran's hijab rules. State television also broadcasted footage without audio or date that showed a woman the morality police identified as Amini sitting inside the detention facility. Amini was later shown getting up from her seat, holding her head with her hands, and collapsing.

Her family later dismissed the claim, adding that Amini was perfectly healthy prior to the arrest.

Amini's brother, Kiarash, also said he had heard screaming from inside the detention center on the day of her death. Kiarash added that a witness who had come out of the detention center told him that a young woman was killed by security forces, as per The New York Times.