Iranian doctors accuse medical officials of covering up cause of Amini’s death

Mahsa Amini's death has sparked a wave of street protests in both in Iran and in several other countries, with strong international reactions to the incident. (File/AFP)
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Updated 14 October 2022
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Iranian doctors accuse medical officials of covering up cause of Amini’s death

  • Amini died on September 16, three days after being arrested by morality police in Tehran
  • At least 201 people, including 23 children, have been killed in nationwide protests

DUBAI: More than 800 Iranian doctors have accused the head of the Medical Council of aiding the government by ‘covering up’ the cause of Mahsa Amini’s death while in morality police custody last month.
The group released a statement on October 11 saying Mohammad Raeiszadeh, the head of Iran’s Medical Council, used the name and reputation of the organization to ‘legitimize the so-called fact-finding committee to cover up the cause of Mahsa Amini's death,’ reported Radio Farda.
“The ‘fact-finding’ committee was formed behind closed doors and has no credibility,” wrote the signatories in the statement.
Amini died on September 16, three days after being arrested by morality police in Tehran for allegedly breaking the country's Islamic dress code.
At the time of the incident, eyewitnesses told journalists the 22-year-old victim appeared to have been beaten inside the police van, after which she fell into a coma and was admitted to a hospital.
The doctors who signed the statement said they ‘regretted’ that the council’s head, Raeiszadeh, forgot the ‘moral and social obligation of doctors to defend the people.’
On October 7, an official coroner's report said that Amini's death was not caused by blows to the head or limbs but was instead linked to disease.
State news agency ISNA also reported that the medical board found ‘underlying diseases’ that caused Amini’s death, with no mention of any sustained injuries.
Several other doctors, who saw pictures of Amini in the hospital, pointed out on social media that the cause of the bleeding from her ear could be a blow to the head.
Her death has sparked a wave of street protests in both in Iran and in several other countries, with strong international reactions to the incident.
At least 201 people, including 23 children, have been killed in nationwide protests that have rocked Iran since Amini’s death.


Arab League condemns Israeli settlers’ attack on mosque near Nablus

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Arab League condemns Israeli settlers’ attack on mosque near Nablus

  • The Arab League said that the targeting of religious sanctities is a dangerous escalation that undermines any international efforts aimed at achieving peace and stability
  • The Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Religious Affairs reported that settlers vandalized or attacked 45 mosques in the West Bank last year

LONDON: The Arab League condemned on Tuesday the burning of a Palestinian mosque by Israeli settlers during an attack on the village of Tell near Nablus, north of the occupied West Bank.

On Monday morning, settlers vandalized the Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq Mosque by spray-painting offensive phrases and starting a fire, which left the place filled with black smoke and soot.

The Arab League said that the targeting of religious sanctities is a dangerous escalation that fuels hate speech and violence, undermining any international efforts aimed at achieving peace and stability, according to Wafa news agency.

It called on the UN to take concrete steps to stop these repeated attacks and ensure the protection of places of worship.

The Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Religious Affairs reported that settlers vandalized or attacked 45 mosques in the West Bank last year.

The recent incident occurred as Muslims began observing the holy month of Ramadan last week, which continues into March. Israeli forces have increased their presence in the West Bank and around the city of Jerusalem, allowing only children under 12, men over 55, and women over 50 to enter Al-Aqsa Mosque.