Protester Dies by Suicide Following Release From Prison

A young Iranian protester took her own life a few days after her release from a detention center, media reported on Sunday.

Yalda Aghafazli, 19, was arrested on October 26 in Enghelab Square in the capital city Tehran and was released 10 days later, without being informed of the charges against her.

Aghafazli had been on hunger strike prior to her release from the Qarchak detention center on November 6. She took her own life in Tehran on Thursday, with police reporting the cause of her death as an "overdose".

The ongoing nationwide protests were triggered by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini following her arrest by Tehran’s morality police for allegedly not complying with hijab regulations.

Young men and women, and university students in particular, have been at the forefront of the protests, which have been met by a brutal state crackdown. The movement has turned into the biggest challenge to the Islamic Republic since the 1979 revolution.

At least 300 people have been killed during the mainly peaceful protests, including 40 children, according to one human rights organization. Several thousand people have been arrested.