New Delhi: Iran's state-run broadcaster was hacked by protesters on Saturday, disrupting live coverage to display an anti-government message amid the ongoing unrest in the country. "The blood of our youth is on your hands," read a message on screen in the broadcast, as per a report by news agency AFP.  


The protest was sparked after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini who was detained in Tehran by morality police for not covering her hair properly. She died three days later under the custody of the police, on September 16.


Iran's semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported that the 9 pm newscast by the Islamic Republic of Iran News Network (IRINN) under Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) was hacked for a few moments by anti-revolutionary elements, ANI reported. The hack interrupted the broadcast of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's meeting in the southern city of Bushehr.






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The hack which lasted a few seconds began with a short clip of a person wearing a cartoon mask with a beard and heavy brows against a black backdrop. It was followed by a screen showing a photo of Khamenei with a target superimposed on his face alongside photos of Nika Shahkarami, Hadis Najafi, and Sarina Esmailzadeh — all young women who were reported dead during the protests in Iran that erupted last month following Amini's death.


The hack was claimed by the Edalat-e Ali (Ali's Justice) hacktivist group, which added a slogan on the top right-hand corner of the screen: "Join us and rise up".


The hack was widely reported by Persian media and rights groups based outside Iran, who shared the footage on social media, reported AFP. Edalat-e Ali on their social media posted, "On the request of people, we fulfilled our promise and did the unthinkable to free Iran".


After the video ended, the news anchor could be seen shifting uncomfortably in his seat, his reaction to the video was shared widely on social media, despite internet restrictions, stated the AFP report.