Internet access cuts in Iran, amid protests 1:10
(CNN) --
The father of an Iranian woman who died in police custody last week has accused authorities of lying about her death, as protests continue across the country despite a government attempt to curb dissent with a blackout. from Internet.
Amjad Amini, whose daughter Mahsa died after being arrested in Tehran by morality police, said doctors refused to let him see his daughter after her death.
Iranian authorities have claimed he died after suffering a "heart attack" and slipping into a coma, but his family has said he did not have a pre-existing heart condition, according to Emtedad News, a pro-reform Iranian media outlet.
Public skepticism about officials' account of his death has sparked a wave of anger that has turned into deadly protests.
A protest in Tehran, Iran, over the death of Mahsa Amini, on September 21.
"They are lying. They are telling lies. Everything is a lie... no matter how much I begged, they didn't let me see my daughter," Amjad Amini told BBC Persia on Wednesday.
When he saw his daughter's body before her funeral, it was completely wrapped except for his feet and face, although he noted bruises on his feet.
"I have no idea what they did to her," he said.
CNN was unable to independently verify his claims with hospital officials.
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Security camera footage released by Iranian state media showed Mahsa Amini collapsing in a "re-education" center where she was taken by morality police for "guidance" on her dress.
His death has sparked a wave of anger that has escalated to include issues ranging from freedoms in the Islamic Republic to the devastating economic impacts of international sanctions.
Protests and deadly clashes with police have broken out in towns and cities across Iran, despite attempts by authorities to curb the spread of the demonstrations through internet blackouts.
internet blackouts
Mobile networks were largely shut down and access to Instagram and Whatsapp was restricted, internet regulator Netblocks said on Wednesday night.
There has been a near-total disruption of internet access in parts of Iran's western Kurdistan province since Monday night, and regional blackouts in other parts of the country, including Sanandaj and Tehran.
This comes after Iran's communications minister warned there could be internet disruptions "for security reasons and discussions related to recent events," according to the country's semi-official ISNA news agency.
The last time Iran saw such a severe blackout was when authorities tried to contain mass protests in late 2019 after fuel prices rose by as much as 300%.
At the time, Iran was almost completely offline, in what Oracle's Internet Intelligence called the "largest internet blackout ever observed in Iran."
This week, several Iranian state government websites, including the official sites of the president and the Central Bank of Iran, were also offline, with the Anonymous hacker collective claiming responsibility.
"(Greetings) Citizens of Iran. This is a message from Anonymous to all of Iran. We are here and we are with you," tweeted a social media account affiliated with the group on Tuesday.
"We support your determination for peace against brutality and massacres. We know that your determination comes not from revenge, but from your yearning for justice. All tyrants will fall before your courage. Long live free Iranian women."
The hacker collective also took responsibility for temporarily shutting down the website of Iran's state news agency, Fars, early Wednesday morning, according to an Anonymous tweet.
Since then, the website has been back online.
Dozens of people stage a rally to protest the death of Mahsa Amini in Tehran, Iran, on September 21.
Rising fury over deadly clashes
At least eight people, including a teenager, have been killed in recent days due to clashes at the protests, according to the human rights group Amnesty International.
At least four of those eight "died from injuries sustained by security forces firing metal pellets at close range," Amnesty said in a report published on Wednesday.
Four other people were shot by security forces, Amnesty said, citing sources in Iran.
It added that eyewitness accounts and video analysis show a pattern of "Iranian security forces illegally and repeatedly firing metal pellets directly at protesters."
Riot police moved to disperse protesters Wednesday night in the capital Tehran, seeing several people arrested, according to eyewitnesses who did not want to be identified for security reasons.
Riot police fired tear gas in a "heavy-handed crackdown" near Tehran University, a witness said.
Another witness in the city's eastern district said protesters were heard shouting "Death to the dictator," referring to Iran's supreme leader, and "I will kill anyone who killed my sister," referring to Amini.
Iranian police reveal cause of death of woman who was in custody 0:54
Videos of protests across the country show people destroying posters of the Supreme Leader and women burning their hijabs and cutting their hair in a symbolic show of defiance.
CNN has reached out to police and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, which joined riot police Wednesday night in Tehran, seeking comment.
They have not issued any statement on the demonstrations or on the handling of the protests by law enforcement.
International activists and leaders have also raised concerns about the protests and alleged police violence.
Sweden's foreign minister said on Wednesday that the European country stands with Iranians mourning Amini and demanded that the authorities respect their right to peaceful protest.
Germany also called on Iranian authorities to "allow peaceful demonstrations and, above all, not to use more violence" during a news conference on Wednesday.
UK Foreign Secretary Tariq Ahmad said Britain was "extremely concerned at reports of serious ill-treatment of Ms Amini, and many others, by security forces".
"The use of violence in response to the expression of fundamental rights, by women or any other member of Iranian society, is totally unjustifiable," the statement said.
Protests in Iran