Khamenei's niece arrested for criticizing child-killing regime

The niece of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has joined other prominent Iranians in open opposition of the regime, amid the nationwide protests that broke out more than two months ago.

Farideh Moradkhani, in an eight-minute video of posted by her brother Mahmoud, speaks out against the “child-killing regime”. “Tell your government to stop supporting this murderous and child-killing regime,” she says.

Ms Moradkhani is the daughter of Mr Khamenei's sister Badri, with whom he has strained relations. Her father, Ali Tehrani, was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 1995.

Her Twitter page shows that she is based in Tehran, and has posted anti-government tweets dating back years. Her brother Mahmoud, who is a doctor in France, said she was arrested earlier this month. It is unclear whether she had been arrested before the video was posted.

In the video, Ms Moradkhani also criticises the role played by the UN in responding to the protests that broke out in September 16. She also calls western sanctions on Iran “ridiculous and laughable” and praised the role of women in the demonstrations.

Nation-wide protests followed the death of Kurdish-Iranian woman Mahsa Amini, 22, while in the custody of the morality police in Tehran. She had been detained for wearing her hijab “improperly”.

Last week, the US issued sanctions against government officials it accused of complicity in the “extrajudicial killing” of protesters. The UN's Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said more than 300 people had been killed in the protests.

Iran has accused foreign powers of fomenting unrest, without providing any evidence. It has also launched attacks on Iranian Kurds exiled in Iraq.