Riot police officers patrol a street with a motorcycle in Tehran, Iran, WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
DUBAI, October 7 (Reuters) - Iranian authorities have denied reports that a 16-year-old girl was killed by security forces during protests ignited by the death of a woman in police custody, Iran. Media reported on Friday that a 16-year-old girl committed suicide by falling from the roof.
While social media reports and rights group Amnesty International have said that Sarina Esmailzadeh was hit on the head by security forces during protests over the death of Mahsa Amini.
Authorities had cited another death as falling from a roof when 17-year-old Nika Shakrami was killed while protesting.
Rights groups say more than 150 people have been killed, hundreds injured and thousands of protesters arrested, posing the biggest challenge to Iran's clerical leadership in protests across the country
Women have played an important role in this protest, especially in throwing and burning the dupatta. High school girls also participated.
The chief justice of the province of Alborz says preliminary investigations suggest the girl died of suicide by falling from the roof of a five-story building, the semi-official ISNA news agency reported.
Chief Justice Hossein Fazeli Herikandi said the claims made in the opposition media about his death were "false". "Based on his mother's account, Ismailzadeh had attempted suicide several times before," police were informed of his death on September 24.