Exclusive; Amjad Amini: Mahsa is 'Daughter of Iran'; We Will Hold a Memorial for 'That Innocent Victim'

Amjad Amini, the father of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini, announced in an interview with Voice of America that a memorial ceremony will be held for his daughter. In an exclusive interview, Amjad Amini emphasized: 'To honor the name and memory of the martyr, victim, and innocent Zhina, and to bring peace to the soul of her pure spirit and comfort to the family, relatives, and all her admirers, we intend to hold the memorial ceremony this year. However, given the circumstances, we cannot officially invite people to the ceremony or tell them not to attend.' Mr. Amini added: 'Today, everyone knows that Mahsa does not belong only to the Amini family; she is the daughter of Iran and belongs to the entire country, and all of Mahsa's admirers are like her family. Therefore, whatever decision the people make, we will comply.' In this written interview with Manouchehr Pardel, a reporter for Voice of America, he referred to the 'concerns' of the Islamic Republic officials, stating that they 'ask us not to call for any gatherings under any circumstances and not to invite people to the ceremony.' Regarding the legal status of his daughter's case, Amjad Amini said: 'So far, we have not received any clear and convincing answers. They keep giving us the same previous statements, which convince neither us nor the people. Nevertheless, we are still pursuing the case through our esteemed lawyers and hope to reach the truth and our rights. Unfortunately, we have not received any results or answers so far.' He addressed the families of those killed and injured during the popular protests, saying: 'We have no message other than to express our respect and admiration, and we are grateful for the support of these noble, grieving, and suffering families.' Mr. Amini added: 'We are deeply sorry for the hardships and problems they have faced, and we feel ashamed that we could not express our sympathy and solidarity with them in person due to the circumstances or provide any help and support.' Amjad Amini also addressed his compatriots, saying: 'We have no specific message other than thanks and gratitude. We appreciate their efforts and generosity in not forgetting their sister and daughter. I hope they take care of themselves and do not get harmed.' The new wave of popular protests that began in late September 2022 after the death of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini in the custody of the morality police has been one of the largest and most serious challenges to the Islamic Republic in the past 44 years. According to statistics provided by human rights organizations, security forces of the Islamic Republic killed nearly 600 people, including women and children, during the suppression of the protests, injured several thousand, and arrested over 20,000 Iranian citizens. Western governments have also responded to this violent crackdown by imposing several sanctions packages against institutions and officials of the Islamic Republic.