Iran places Mahsa Amini's family under house arrest

The family of Mahsa Amini are being held under house arrest at their home in Iran. Amini's parents and her brother have been detained in their home by authorities since Wednesday.

Thousands of people on Wednesday descended upon the cemetery in the city of Saqez where Amini's grave is located to mark 40 days since her death. Security forces opened fire on mourners gathered at her gravesite in the Kurdish city.

On Tuesday, state media released a purported statement from Amini's family saying they would not be holding a remembrance ceremony the following day. Mr Mortazei said this statement was written by authorities and it was immediately rejected by the family.

Amini has become the face of the fiercest protests Iran has seen in decades, sparked by her death in morality police custody in September.

Rights groups say at least 141 people have been killed, including 29 children, in the nationwide demonstrations.

On Thursday, large crowds gathered at the grave of 16-year-old Nika Shakarami in Khorramabad to mark 40 days since her death.

Rights groups said live ammunition was also fired at hundreds of people gathered at the cemetery in Lorestan province.

The teenager was killed after attending protests in Tehran. While authorities have said she fell off a building, her mother has publicly rejected those claims, saying her daughter was killed by authorities and the family pressured into silence.