The approaching anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s tragic death on September 16, 2022, serves as a somber reminder. She was detained in Iran by the morality police for “violating Islamic dress codes” and tragically lost her life due to the injuries sustained during her detention.
Human rights organizations are calling for ‘respect for the right to commemorate’ in response to Iran, which has raised security alerts. Simultaneously, there is an evaluation of a new bill concerning headscarves.
The anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s tragic death approaches. On September 16, 2022, in Iran, she was detained by the morality police for “violating Islamic dress codes” and tragically lost her life due to the injuries she sustained.
On this solemn occasion, Mahsa Amini’s mother, Mojgan Eftekhari Amini, has called upon all those in the country fighting for freedom to gather at Mahsa’s gravesite. She stated, “Now, after one year has passed, we urge all those advocating for freedom in our country to come together on the anniversary of this horrific and unforgivable crime against oppression. We pay our respects to Jina and all those who have sacrificed their lives in the pursuit of freedom.”
‘The Right to Commemorate’
Amnesty International has also issued a plea for upholding the right to commemorate by releasing a report.
This report reminds us that a year has passed since Mahsa Amini’s untimely death and highlights that in 2022, during the “Women, Life, Freedom” protests that swept across the nation, authorities intensified their policy of intimidating and harassing families of individuals unlawfully killed by security forces in order to silence them and perpetuate impunity.
The report underscores the distressing fact that even after Mahsa Jina Amini’s tragic passing on September 16, 2022, amidst the violent suppression of the widespread popular uprising in Iran, not a single official has been held accountable for the hundreds of adults and children who lost their lives at the hands of security forces. According to the report, Amnesty International views the actions of Iranian authorities, resulting in human rights violations, as a breach of the absolute prohibition under international law against torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment, as these actions have caused immense mental anguish and suffering for grieving families.
Amnesty International’s statement further reveals that their research has uncovered instances where Iranian authorities arbitrarily detained and arrested family members of the deceased, imposed stringent restrictions on peaceful gatherings at cemeteries, and vandalized the gravestones of the departed. The organization calls for respecting the right of families to commemorate their loved ones who lost their lives during the Mahsa Amini protests in the first year.
Iran Heightens Security Alert
According to information gathered from human rights organizations within Iran, authorities have accelerated a security decision that involves the arrest of activists within the protest movement and the expulsion of university faculty members.
Muhammed Pakpour, the Commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Ground Forces, stated yesterday that the country is facing what he termed a “hybrid war.” Pakpour emphasized the need to counter the anti-Iran movement, which he claimed brings together Hollywood, celebrities, and separatists.
With the first anniversary of the mass protests that commenced following Amini’s tragic death approaching, Iranian officials are currently reviewing a new bill related to headscarves. Experts predict that this bill will introduce remarkably harsh punitive measures.
Iran’s Upcoming Headscarf Legislation to Tighten Restrictions on Women’s Freedom
The new legislation, consisting of 70 articles concerning headscarves in Iran, proposes considerably longer prison sentences for women who refuse to wear headscarves, along with new penalties for both celebrities and businesses found violating these regulations. Furthermore, the bill suggests the use of artificial intelligence to identify women breaching clothing rules.
This bill was submitted to the government for evaluation earlier this year, subsequently referred to the parliament, and approved by the Legal and Judicial Commission. Reports indicate that the Iranian parliament will dedicate the next two months to finalize the text and conduct a vote on the bill.