The Death of Mahsa Amini

BY MIRANDA MCDONALD '23, Co-Editor-in-Chief

Women protest in Iran on Sep. 25, 2022. [CC]

On Sep. 16, 2022 in Iran, 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in police custody. Three days prior to her untimely death, Amini was arrested by morality police for allegedly not following hijab protocol. Since her death, protests against the treatment of women and the government have taken place in over 80 cities in Iran, TIME magazine reported.

According to The Jerusalem Post, Amini was from Saquez, a city within the northwestern Kurdistan Province. She and her family had been traveling to Tehran to visit her uncle. Once Amini stepped off the train, she was immediately arrested by the morality police, Islamic Religious police who enforce morals and women’s dress code. The Jerusalem Post reported that she was allegedly arrested for wearing “tight trousers, ” while other sources say she was breaking hijab protocols, a strict dress code used to enforce modesty.

After two hours at the Vozara detention center, ambulances rushed Amini to the hospital. Amini’s family was denied any information on the condition of their daughter. TIME reported that “Amini’s father told an Iranian news outlet that he wasn’t allowed to see her body in the hospital, but that he caught a glimpse of her foot and it was bruised. ” Three days later, Amini passed away.

TIME reported, “Iranian authorities claim that Image description. [Photo Credit]

Amini died of heart failure… ” that might have been tied to previous health conditions. Witnesses contradict these claims and assert that they saw police brutally beating Amini while on the way to the detention center.

Though Amini is not the first assault victim of the morality police, her death signaled a change in Iran. Unceasing violent protests have taken place in cities all across Iran since Amini’s death. According to the BBC, videos posted on Twitter depict women burning their hijabs and shaving their heads while screaming “Women, life, freedom” and “Death to the dictator, ” chants in protest against the violence that has occurred over strict hijab regulations.

The Iranian government has taken action to ensure protests halt or diminish, yet the people are relentless. To control protests, riot police have been placed throughout the country. The New York Times reported that there have been over 700 hundred arrests, and the police have used brute force, weaponry, and tear gas against protesters. Iran Human Rights, a nongovernmental organization, calculates the death toll at 326.

The New York Times also stated that the government has been responsible for interfering with the internet. Because social media has played a critical role in communications with protesters and outside journalists, the government has enforced harsher censorship measures such as internet blackouts and restricted Google searching.

In an interview with TIME, Director of Iran Human Rights Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam stated,

“What you see is people who are fed up with a regime. ” Mahsa Amini’s story has sparked outrage worldwide, and protests show no signs of relenting anytime soon.