The mother and other relatives of a girl who died during protests in Iran have been threatened into making "forced confessions" about the 16-year-old's death, according to reports by local media and the BBC.
Nika Shahkarami, who lived in Tehran with her mother, vanished during protests in the capital over the death of another young woman, Mahsa Amini, who died last month in police custody.
Nika was missing for a week before her body was found in a Tehran street and returned to her family, Tasnim news agency reported, adding relatives had not received official word on how she died.
Foreign-based Iranian activists allege she died in police custody, leading to her photo circulating online and her name being used as hashtag in posts associated with the protest movement.
However, authorities have denied any wrongdoing.
In a video sent on Thursday to foreign-based opposition media, Nika's mother, Nasrin Shahkarami, accused authorities of murdering her daughter and using threats to force her to confess that her daughter's death was a suicide.
"I saw my daughter's body myself," Ms Shahkarami said in a video sent on Thursday to Radio Farda, a US-funded media outlet.
"The back of her head showed she had suffered a very severe blow as her skull had caved in. That's how she was killed."
Ms Shahkarami said other relatives were also forced to make "confessions".
Nika's uncle Mohsen and aunt Atash were detained by authorities after Atash posted messages online about her niece's death and spoke to the media.
On Wednesday night, state media broadcast an interview with Atash, saying that Nika was killed "falling from a building".
The BBC reported that Nika's uncle was seen on TV speaking out against the unrest as someone seemed to whisper to him: "Say it, you scumbag."
BBC Persian quoted a source close to the family as saying those interviews came "after intense interrogations and being threatened that other family members would be killed".
The televised statements were recorded before they were released, according to the source.
The death of Ms Amini, who was arrested for wearing "unsuitable attire" and died in custody three days later, has sparked protests across the globe.
Nika's death unleashed another outpouring of anger on Iranian social media.
US hit Iran with new sanctions
On Thursday, the US imposed more sanctions on Iranian government officials in response to the death of Ms Amini and the crackdown on protests that have followed.
The US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control designated seven high-ranking leaders for financial penalties due to the shutdown of Iran’s internet, repression of speech and violence inflicted on protesters and civilians.
Iran's interior and communications ministers and several law enforcement leaders were targeted for sanctions.
"The United States condemns the Iranian government's internet shutdown and continued violent suppression of peaceful protest and will not hesitate to target those who direct and support such actions," Brian Nelson, the Treasury department's undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said in a statement.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the sanctions demonstrated the "United States stands with the brave citizens and the brave women of Iran who right now are demonstrating to secure their basic rights".
The department said it imposed sanctions on Iran's Minister of Interior Ahmad Vahidi, Communications Minister Eisa Zarepour, and Iranian cyber police chief Vahid Mohammad Naser Majid, among others.
The United States also targeted two Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders as well as senior officials with Iran's law enforcement forces.
Washington accused the law enforcement forces, overseen by Mr Vahidi, of using lethal force against protesters on multiple occasions and said its actions had led to thousands of deaths, including at least dozens in recent demonstrations.
ABC/wires
