The Iranian authorities prevented the family from doing so this Saturday Mahsa Amini will organize a ceremony to commemorate a year since her death and held his father brieflycondemned human rights groups on the anniversary of the young woman’s death, sparking a wave of protests.
Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd, died on September 16, 2022, after being arrested for allegedly violating women’s dress codes in place since shortly after the 1979 revolution.
His family claims he died from a blow to the head, but authorities deny this.
The death sparked a wave of protests that lasted for weeks and during the mobilizations many women removed their Islamic veils in a gesture of defiance against this Islamic republic led by the supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The father of Mahsa AmimiAmjad Aminiwas arrested this Saturday as he left his home in Saqez and was released, but authorities warned him not to hold a memorial service at his daughter’s grave, three NGOs reported: the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN), 1500tasvir and Iran Human Rights (IHR) based in Norway.
Amjad Amini is prevented from leaving his home in Saqez, Amini’s hometown in Kurdistan Province, and security forces are stationed outside his home, the organizations added in various publications.
The mobilizations following the death of Mahsa Amini lost momentum over the months and were suppressed by a repression that caused the death of Mahsa Amini 551 protesters, including 68 children and 49 women, according to IHR, and the arrest of more than 22,000 peoplesaid Amnesty International.
Seven men were executed for cases related to these demonstrations.
Activists claim that repression has increased as the anniversary approaches, particularly targeting people close to the victims of repression in an attempt to silence them.
This was announced by the NGO Human Rights Watch Relatives of at least 36 people murdered or executed have been interrogated, detained, prosecuted or sentenced to prison in the last month.
“Stifle dissidents”
“The Iranian authorities are trying to suppress dissent to prevent public commemoration of the death in custody Mahsa Jina Amini” said Tara Sepehri FarHRW Iran researcher.
The two journalists who followed the case most closely Niloofar Hamedi And Elahe MohammadiThey have been detained for almost a year. Nazila Maroufianwho interviewed Mahsa’s father Amjad Amini several times, was arrested several times.
According to the NGO Hengaw, which monitors the situation of the Kurdish people, the government sent additional security forces to Saqez and other cities in western Iran, which could cause tensions over the weekend.
Iran “doubles its repression”
On the other hand, Parliament is considering a bill called “Supporting the Culture of Hijab and Chastity,” which provides for significantly harsher sanctions for non-compliance with the dress code.
Sarah HossainChairman of the UN mission to investigate repression in Iran said the country “is doubling down on repression and reprisals against its citizens and is trying to take new measures.” more draconian laws that further restrict women’s rights“.
In Paris and Toronto, diaspora Iranians called for demonstrations under this slogan “Say his name!”.
Amnesty International accused Tehran of committing a “litany of crimes under international law to stamp out any challenge to its iron might” and deplored this No one responsible for Amini’s death has been investigated or subsequent repression.
For its part, the IHR warned that Tehran had stepped up executions for all types of crimes “to sow fear and prevent the outbreak of new demonstrations.”
The United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Canada and Australia announced sanctions against several high-ranking Iranian officials and organizations on the eve of commemorations of Amini’s death.
Iran criticized this “illegal and undiplomatic action” by Western countriessaid Iranian diplomatic spokesman Naser Kanani.
The President of Iran, Ebrahim Raisimet with relatives of security officers killed during the wave of protests.