The death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian woman who died while in custody of Iran’s morality police over ‘inappropriate’ dressing sparked a series of nationwide protests in the country, with Iranians expressing outrage over the government and the brutality of the morality police. Here’s what we know so far:
On September 13 22-year-old Mahsa Amini was detained by the morality police while she was travelling with her family from Kurdistan province to Tehran for what the police deemed was ‘inappropriate clothing’. Three days later, on September 16, she died while in police custody after having fallen into a coma.
September 19 – Gilan province, northern #Iran
Locals join the nationwide protests over the killing of #MahsaAmini and chant:
"I will kill those who killed my sister!"#IranProtests
#مهسا_امینی pic.twitter.com/TmSzMoIzos— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) September 19, 2022
September 19 – Marivan, W #Iran
Brave women are leading the local protests over the killing of #MahsaAmini by the regime's so-called "morality police".#IranProtests
#مهسا_امینیpic.twitter.com/f2KHe6xYFE— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) September 19, 2022
Police authorities claim that Mahsa had suffered a stroke due to pre-existing conditions while under police custody in a ‘guidance center’ — a re-education center that teaches women the ‘proper way’ to enact Iran’s dress code. However, Mahsa’s family has contested the police’s claim, saying that the woman had no pre-existing conditions that could have led to her having a stroke. They claim that she was severely beaten by the morality police while in custody, which is what led to her death.
#IranProtests: Mother of slain street protester, Nika Shakarami, refuses to be silent about the killing of her daughter:
"Today was your birthday, my dear!"
"Today I say, congratulations on your martyrdom!” #IslamicRepublic #Iran #MahsaAmini #مهسا_امینی #اعتصابات_سراسری pic.twitter.com/Ew5In4bxYq
— IranHumanRights.org (@ICHRI) October 4, 2022
Women waving their headscarves in the middle of Tehran’s main Vali Asr St. on Oct 1. #Iran #MahsaAmini #مهسا_امینی #اعتصابات_سراسری pic.twitter.com/lS7wu4vSpZ
— IranHumanRights.org (@ICHRI) October 2, 2022
Since then, protests erupted all over the country, with people expressing anger and outrage over the brutality of the branch of Iran’s police that led to Mahsa Amin’s death, as well as over the government. While the opposition in Iran had already been protesting since July, the Amini’s death intensified the protests. The total death toll as a result of the protests since September 16 has risen to over 100, although the government has not yet released an official figure.
At a school in Iran students have replaced the photo of Supreme Leader Khamenei with a placard reading Women, Life, Liberty.
On the wall they have written lyrics of “For the sake of…”, a song by Shervin Hajipour that has turned into #IranProtests2022’s anthem. #مهسا_امینی pic.twitter.com/szvNLOxeSw— Khosro Kalbasi Isfahani (@KhosroKalbasi) October 3, 2022
This video is going viral on Iranian twitter. Girls at a school in Karaj are booing and kicking out the pro-regime principal. They’ve also removed their forced hijabs
In an unprecedented development, high schools in Iran are protesting too#MahsaAmini
— Vahid 🇺🇦 (@vahid_y1) October 3, 2022
September 19 – Rasht, northern #Iran
Locals protesting the killing of #MahsaAmini bravely force the regime's security forces to retreat.#IranProtests
#مهسا_امینی pic.twitter.com/5AZ0Kohvaa— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) September 19, 2022
Some Iranian lawmakers are also of the opinion that outside forces and media organizations backed by Saudi Arabia are behind the scale of the protests. This sentiment was confirmed in an address given by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on October 3 —his first official remarks since the death of Mahsa Amini— where he accused Israel and the United States for instigating the protests in Iran.
Calling the incident of Mahsa’s death a ‘bitter incident’ provoked by Iran’s enemies, he said that it ‘deeply broke his heart’. “I openly state that the recent riots were schemes designed by America, the fake Zionist regime [Israel] and their mercenaries inside and outside Iran,” Khamenei said sharply. He expressed firm backing for the security forces, who he said had been ‘wronged’ during the protests.
What are foreign states’ motives for creating riots in Iran? They see that, praise God, Iran’s development has gained momentum & measures are taken that can nullify sanctions, which are the enemy’s only weapon currently. They can’t tolerate this, so they designed these riots.
— Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) October 3, 2022
“Many riots take place around the world. Especially in France, massive riots occur every now and then, but has the US president ever supported European rioters, issued a declaration or said we stand with you? Is there any record of US media supporting them?” he asked.
Despite sharp crackdowns from the police on major universities and public gathering areas, as well as rising death tolls, the protests continue, with faith and confidence in Iran’s current regime dwindling each day.
The ongoing ruthless crackdown continues in Iran with security forces violently attacking and arbitrarily arresting university students protesting peacefully across the country including at Sharif University of Technology on 2 October. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/FG7pfnp3aB
— Amnesty Iran (@AmnestyIran) October 3, 2022
“We are going to protest everyday, don’t assume it’s only today”: students at Kermanshah university, Oct2. #IranProtests2022 #MahsaAmini #مهسا_امینی pic.twitter.com/l0mPSjQLaZ
— Khosro Kalbasi Isfahani (@KhosroKalbasi) October 2, 2022
