Iranian security bodies summoned and threatened families of people killed in 2022 nationwide protests that followed the death of a young woman named Mahsa Amini in morality police custody ahead of the third anniversary, source told Iran International.
Amjad Amini, Mahsa’s father, marked the date with a message on Instagram. “Kurdistan and Iran will never forget the withering of their flowers’ smiles and beauty. We will never forget the butterflies of joy on her lips,” he wrote. The family hailed from Iran's Kurdish minority.
Mahsa Amini, aged 22, was arrested by Iran's morality police in Tehran on September 13, 2022. She died three days later in hospital from injuries sustained in custody, sparking mass protests across Iran.
The demonstrations dubbed the Woman, Life, Freedom movement were quashed with deadly force.
Relatives of victims, sources told Iran International on condition of anonymity, have in recent days been called to intelligence offices in Tehran and other provinces or contacted by phone with warnings not to gather.
Similar tactics were reported in the past two years as authorities sought to prevent public commemorations for Amini and others killed during the crackdown.
A father’s vow
Despite renewed pressure, Amjad Amini published his message on September 14 in remembrance of his daughter.
“The memory and demand for justice for Mahsa 'Jina' and the other slain protesters will never be forgotten,” he wrote using her Kurdish name, adding that her absence remains “a volcano burning eternally in our hearts.”
He also recalled that September 15 would mark the third anniversary of her “state killing,” as he has consistently described it.
Independent rights groups say at least 551 people, including 68 children, were killed during the 2022 uprising sparked by Amini’s death.
Over the weekend, exiled Iranians staged demonstrations in European countries including Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Britain, Denmark, Germany, France and Cyprus as well as in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
The gatherings paid homage to Mahsa Amini and other victims and aimed to raise awareness on the plight of political prisoners in Iran.
