On September 16, Kurdish Iranian woman Mahsa Amini died after spending three days in a coma induced by severe trauma to the head while in police custody in Saqez. She was arrested for allegedly failing to "follow" Iran's strict laws about women covering their heads with a hijab. She was wearing a hijab, but her hair was partially covered. The punishment for flouting such rules includes - detainment, prison time, fines, and flogging.
After Amini's death, protesters gathered all over the country and were primarily led by women but supported by people of all genders. In an interview, Reza Aslan, an Iranian American journalist, said that these were not merely protests but a revolution that has broken in Iran again. Protests include Iranians publiclyburning their hijabs and cutting their hair in solidarity with Amini. The movement is themost significant internal threat to Iran's strict regime in decades.
At least 1200 people have been arrested in connection with the protests, and 41 people have
been killed. "The rising death toll is an alarming indication of just how ruthless the authorities' assault on human life has been under the darkness of the internet shutdown,"Amnesty International said.
To continue further regulations, Iranian authorities have blocked internet access in the country until calm is restored to the streets. Furthermore, On September 22, the journalist Niloofar Hamedi who broke the story of Mahsa Amini's death was reportedly arrested by the Iranian authorities. However, it is unclear what charges she would face.
Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi has sworn to deal "decisively" with the protests. Demonstrators also took to the streets of cities in Iraq, Germany, Greece, Sweden, Poland, the United Kingdom, and the US on Saturday to show solidarity with Iranian protesters.
We urge our readers to do your bit to show solidarity, join a protest in your city or simply raise awareness about the situation in Iran by sharing relevant posts.
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