Iran summoned the Italian ambassador on Thursday, as Rome had done two days earlier to criticize Tehran's response to the protests sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini.

The 22-year-old Iranian Kurd died on September 16 after she was arrested in Tehran by the "vices police" for an alleged violation of the country's strict dress code for women.

Iranian officials say hundreds of people have been killed, including members of the security forces, and thousands arrested in the protests that followed.

Iran's Foreign Ministry said in a statement released Thursday evening that it had summoned Giuseppe Perrone to protest "against the continued interventionist statements and actions of some Italian officials in the internal affairs" of Iran.

“Selective, double standards approaches to human rights are completely unacceptable and rejected by the Islamic Republic of Iran,” he added.

Iran has summoned more than a dozen ambassadors from Western countries, including Britain, France and Germany, since the protests began.

On Tuesday, Italy had summoned the Iranian ambassador to protest against the "unacceptable" response of the Iranian security forces to the demonstrators.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani previously called the situation in Iran an "unacceptable disgrace", saying Rome had taken a "hard line" in defense of women.

The Iranian authorities mainly accuse its sworn enemy the United States but also certain European countries of stirring up what they call "riots".