Tasnim news agency reported Saturday that during more than a week of protests after a young woman died in custody, Iranian police arrested more than 700 people in just one province.

The police chief of Iran’s Guilan province, General Azizollah Maleki, reportedly confirmed the arrest of 739 rioters, including 60 women.

As deadly protests break out in Iran over the death of 22-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini, Iranians who work in the Kurdistan region of neighboring Iraq say they are afraid of repression back home.

Amini died after the feared morality police in Iran arrested her for wearing a hijab in an “improper” way. On September 16, news of her death caused widespread outrage and unexpected protests.

Kawa Krimi, 50, who had traveled to Iraq from Iran to see family, claimed that the protests started in the late afternoon and went on until the early hours of the morning.

Young protesters in Iran have set Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s portraits on fire while yelling “death to the dictator” in the streets.

Security forces have responded to protests with lethal force, and the government is now seeking to stifle reportage by limiting internet access.

Iranians who travel to Iraq for work or to visit family say they are still afraid of repercussions at home. Under a false name, Krimi claimed that a “general strike” had started on Friday in his hometown of Marivan in western Iran.

“All the shops and markets are closed,” he said.  Some claimed that while Amini’s death was a catalyst, a protracted economic crisis and a broader climate of repression also contributed to the outburst of rage.

Image Credit: Getty

You were reading: RIP Mahsa Amini: More Than 700 Rioters Including 60 Women Detained In Iran