Interior minister: There’s evidence Amini not subjected to beating in custody

In an interview with the IRIB on Friday night, Ahmad Vahidi said he had been tasked with following up on the case of Amini’s tragic death upon an order by President Ebrahim Raisi, and that the investigations made swift progress with the reports of medical and legal officials as well as inquiries on the site.

“Based on objective observations, interviews with witnesses, reports from relevant agencies, and other investigations, there was no beating involved,” he said.

He criticized those who initially rushed to make claims about her mistreatment “irresponsibly and without any information,” adding that such accusations helped those seeking unrest to exploit the public feelings.

The interior minister said “organized” groups were operating to perpetrate acts of sabotage and set public property ablaze during the scattered protest gatherings over Amini’s death.

These groups, he added, have nothing to do with the case and only take advantage of the tragedy to create chaos and problems for people.

The interior minister said the restrictions temporarily imposed on the Internet served security purposes and were meant to keep the rioters under control.

IRIB says 35 people, including security forces, have so far been killed in the spate of violence in different Iranian cities. Authorities have yet to release official figures.