Protests span across Iran as people seek answers regarding the suspicious death of Mahsa Amini
TW: mention of death, abuse
Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman from Saquez, Iran, was arrested on Sept. 13 in Tehran, Iran, for wearing her hijab, a religious head covering worn by Muslim women, too loosely, which is not in accordance with the country’s dress code.
Three days after her arrest, Amini died from what authorities alleged was a heart attack. However, witnesses of Amini’s arrest said the police brutally beat her, before dragging her to their vehicle. This information and the suddenness of Amini’s death, led people in Iran to come out in droves to protest the police’s brutality and seek more information regarding Amini’s suspicious death.
Throughout the course of these protests in Iran, women have cut their hair and burned their hijabs as a show of resistance against Iran’s strict dress code, which requires women of all ages and backgrounds to have all of their hair covered and to wear loose-fitting clothes in public. In response, Iran’s police released tear gas and used batons and metal pellets to deter protestors. Iranian authorities also have shut down the internet and limited communication outside of the country.
According to CBS News, the official current death toll of these protests is 41; however, the Iran Human Rights group reports 76 deaths. In addition to these deaths, CNN reported that there have been 1,200 arrests, with 17 journalists being among those arrested.
Amjad Amini, father of Mahsa Amini, told BBC that on the day of his daughter’s arrest, his younger son was with her. He said, “Some witnesses told my son [that] she was beaten in the van and in the police station…My son begged them not to take her, but he was beaten too; his clothes were ripped off.” When it came to seeing his daughter’s body after her death, Amjad mentioned that authorities did not let him see Mahsa’s body. He also denied rumors that Mahsa had health issues or underwent surgeries that could have contributed to her death.
In the U.S., there have been protests and vigils in cities like Austin, Texas, and Berkeley, California. The US government also issued sanctions against Iranian leaders and authorities while encouraging technology companies to invest in their businesses in Iran to provide greater and stronger internet access and communication for Iranians. Meanwhile, the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres released a statement imploring authorities to stop using “unnecessary or disproportionate force” and for a “prompt, impartial and effective investigation into Ms. Mahsa Amini’s death by an independent competent authority.”
Overall, Amini’s family and protestors in Iran and around the world all want the same thing: more clarity and transparency from Iran about what really happened on the day of Amini’s arrest and the days leading up to her death. Protestors also want the Iranian government to loosen their dress code policies and allow women to enjoy more freedom. Protestors want the police’s violence against women to stop, so that deaths like Amini’s can be prevented.