Closure of Niloufar Aghaei's Clinic, an Eye Injury Victim from Last Year's Protests

Niloufar Aghaei, an eye injury victim from last year's protests, announced the closure of her midwifery clinic by sharing an image on Instagram. In a brief story on her Instagram page, she wrote: "For now, I have no consultations and the clinic is closed. I hope this distance from my work and passion is not permanent." The midwifery expert did not provide further details about the reasons for the closure of her clinic. However, speculation suggests that her clinic may have been shut down by the Islamic Republic due to her activities. Niloufar Aghaei was among the eye injury victims of the nationwide protests last year, having lost her eye due to a pellet shot by Iranian government forces. Following this incident, she frequently shared her experiences on her personal Instagram. Aghaei wrote in one of her posts: "I love myself more than ever for five months... I think it’s strange and lovely for me that amidst all the different emotions I experience every day, there is no place for regret." Her dissemination of information and images on Instagram led the Iranian judiciary to issue an order to suspend her Instagram page, resulting in the deletion of all her posts. After a while, her Instagram was reinstated, but all her posts were removed. Aghaei, a senior midwifery expert, attempted to return to her professional activities by posting medical, health-related content, and pregnancy tips on her Instagram after her eye injury. She lost her eye on November 25, 2022, during a gathering of healthcare staff in front of the Medical System in protest against the death of Mahsa Amini while in police custody. A meeting of three young women who lost their eyes in the protests was also mentioned, as well as Aghaei's response to being labeled a liar by municipal billboards in Tehran.