In Memory of Mahsa Amini; Mojgan Ekhtiyari: A Year Since My 'Beloved Zhina' Became Heavenly

Mojgan Ekhtiyari, the mother of Zhina (Mahsa) Amini, commemorated her daughter on Saturday, September 4, on the eve of the first anniversary of her death while in the custody of the Islamic Republic's morality police, by posting a text and two photos on her Instagram page. In the beginning of her message addressed to 'my beloved Zhina,' she wrote: 'A year has passed since you became heavenly, a year in which every moment was a hell in my heart due to the sorrow of your absence and the longing to see you.' Ekhtiyari continued, 'The book you were reading, your notebooks, even the window of your room from which you gazed at the sky in the silence and darkness of the night, praying to your God... all are waiting for the end of your journey so that once again, with your lively and vibrant face, you may enter through the door, and the warm sound of your voice and the scent of your hair may fill this house.' It is noteworthy that Amjad Amini, Zhina's father, had previously told the Persian section of Voice of America in mid-October last year that he had seen blood marks on his daughter's body, particularly on the back of her neck and ears, and that much of her body, including her legs, was bruised. He also denied any history of illness for Mahsa Amini, emphasizing her being an athlete: 'It's a lie! I swear to God she had no illness and had only gone to a clinic for a simple cold. She was an athlete.' The killing of Zhina (Mahsa) Amini while in the custody of the Islamic Republic's morality police sparked widespread anti-government protests across Iran and in many cities around the world. Iranian authorities have refused to accept any responsibility for Zhina's death and have violently suppressed peaceful protests, resulting in the deaths of nearly 600 Iranian citizens, including women and girls, with thousands injured and over 20,000 others arrested. In response to the repression of peaceful protesters by the Islamic Republic, the United States and other Western countries supported the Iranian victims' families and imposed several sanctions against individuals and entities responsible for the crackdown.