The women of Iran are furious.

Listen to this story being read by Brielle Burns, here. 

Mahsa Amini was on holiday with her family in the Iranian city of Tehran when she was dragged into a van by the morality police.

The 22-year-old, who is Kurdish and from the north-western city of Saqez, was accused of breaking the law, requiring women to cover their hair with a headscarf and wear loose-fitting clothes in public. 

CCTV footage of the incident, later released by police, shows her collapsing to the ground at the moment of her arrest last week. 

After being detained, police took Amini to a detention centre to be "educated", the BBC reports.

According to eyewitnesses at the centre, Amini appeared to have been beaten inside the van.

Hours after being arrested, Amini was taken to hospital after falling into a coma. 

On Friday, she died in hospital, three days after her arrest. 

Her father holds the police responsible for her death, saying Amini had no health problems and had suffered bruises to her legs in custody. 

"I asked for access to (videos) from cameras inside the car as well as courtyard of the police station, but they gave no answer," he told an Iranian news website, according to AAP.

Police have denied harming the 22-year-old and said she instead suffered "sudden heart failure". 

Widespread protests in Iran.

Amini's death has ignited widespread protests across the country and unleashed an outpouring of anger over issues ranging from freedoms in the Islamic Republic to the crippling economic impacts of sanctions. 

The unrest, which broke out on Saturday after Amini's funeral, has spread to more than 50 cities and towns over the past five days.  

Women, who are heavily present in the protests, have been seen burning their hijabs or cutting their hair in anger. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mamamia (@mamamiaaus)

Footage shared online shows some protesters chanting, "women, life, freedom" and "death to the dictator".

In one video, a woman is seen sitting on top of a utility box while cutting her hair in the main square in Kerman, while people chant around her.  

Unprecedented scenes in Iran: woman sits on top of utility box and cuts her hair in main square in Kerman to protest death of Mahsa Amini after her arrest by the morality police. People clap their hands and chant “Death to the dictator.” #مهسا_امینی pic.twitter.com/2oyuKV80Ac

— Golnaz Esfandiari (@GEsfandiari) September 20, 2022

So moved watching Iranian women lead protests w/a powerful slogan: “women, life, freedom”
Women wearing the hijab, not wearing it, or lighting it on fire are standing side by side against a state’s co-optation of hijab that harms us all & instead demanding freedom on all fronts🔥 pic.twitter.com/FqnetmkL6o

— Hoda Katebi هدی کاتبی (@hodakatebi) September 20, 2022

Mahsa Amini, 22, who died in the custody of Iran's morality police over forced hijab rules, was buried in her hometown of Saqqez, Kurdistan province, today.

Her funeral turned into a scene of large protests, violently confronted by security forces. pic.twitter.com/DqVjbSjIhE

— Shayan Sardarizadeh (@Shayan86) September 17, 2022

A number of women have also been arrested across the country after the national "hijab and chastity day" declared on 12 July. 

28-year-old writer and artist, Sepideh Rashno, was one of them. 

Rashno was arrested after footage of her being harassed on a bus for wearing "improper clothing" was shared online. 

According to the Hrana human rights group, she was taken to hospital with internal bleeding after her arrest and later made a "forced" confession and apology on television. 

Calls for an investigation.

Last week, Human rights organisation, Amnesty International, slammed the morality police for enforcing "the country’s abusive, degrading and discriminatory" laws, and called for the circumstances leading to Amini's "suspicious death" to be criminally investigated.

"The so-called ‘morality police’ in Tehran arbitrarily arrested her three days before her death while enforcing the country’s abusive, degrading and discriminatory forced veiling laws. All agents and officials responsible must face justice," they wrote on Twitter. 

#Iran | The circumstances leading to the suspicious death in custody of 22-year-old young woman Mahsa Amini, which include allegations of torture and other ill-treatment in custody, must be criminally investigated. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/GLq9iTZKlk

— Amnesty MENA (@AmnestyMENA) September 16, 2022

A top United Nations official has also demanded an independent investigation into Amini's death.

Nada Al-Nashif, the acting UN high Commissioner for Human Rights, said, "Mahsa Amini's tragic death and allegations of torture and ill-treatment must be promptly, impartially and effectively investigated by an independent competent authority."

How can we help?

In terms of donations, The NCRI Women's Committee aims to achieve equal rights for Iranian women. Money donated to them helps them improve and expand their efforts to support Iranian women's struggle. 

United for Iran empowers a growing global network of issue experts, coders, developers, and activists to create an Iran where civil liberties are respected. Their technologies empower Iranians to stay informed, voice their beliefs, stand up for their values and organise. Their campaigns raise public awareness and directly pressure the Islamic Republic of Iran to spare lives, release prisoners and stop persecutions.

The international community is being urged to amplify the voices of the Iranian people. So follow and share their messages on social media! 

- With AAP.

Feature Image: Stringer/Anadolu Agency/Chris McGrath/Getty.