Iran’s riot police caught on video sexually assaulting female protester during anti-hijab demo

15 October 2022, 11:17 | Updated: 15 October 2022, 11:24

Video footage has emerged showing Iranian riot police sexually assaulting a female protester while trying to arrest her.

The footage has prompted a furious backlash on social media amid the month-long riots that have affected the country.

The footage, filmed at Argentina Square in Tehran on Wednesday shows a woman being detained and surrounded by riot police. One of them appears to grab her inappropriately from behind before she collapses to the ground. A female voice behind the camera can be heard saying: "They are pulling her hair."

She eventually manages to wrest herself free and run away.

Tehran's Police Public Relations office has said the incident is being investigated, state news agency Irna reported.

Iran has been rocked by a month of demonstrations driven by public outrage over Mahsa Amini's death on September 16 .

The country’s morality police had arrested her for an alleged breach of the Islamic republic's strict dress code for women. 

The protests have drawn international support with US President Joe Biden saying: “'I want you to know that we stand with the citizens, the brave women of Iran.

“'It stunned me what it awakened in Iran. It awakened something that I don't think will be quieted for a long, long time,” he said.

“Women all over the world are being persecuted in various ways, but they should be able to wear in God's name what they want to wear,” said Biden.

Iran “has to end the violence against its own citizens simply exercising their fundamental rights,” he added.

At least 108 people have been killed in the Amini protests, and at least 93 more have died in separate clashes in Zahedan, according to human rights groups.