Jamileh Alamolhoda's Claim: Many Were Killed in Protests, but in Defense of the Islamic Republic

Jamileh Alamolhoda, the wife of Ebrahim Raisi, in an interview with ABC News, responded to the host's question about the reported deaths of 500 protesters during nationwide protests by saying, "Many were killed, but in defense of the Islamic Republic of Iran." She reiterated claims made by Islamic Republic officials that the cause of Mahsa Amini's death was due to a pre-existing illness, adding, "She was beloved by all of us; I am a mother myself, and I understand this. That is why I personally had constant contact with all the medical staff involved in Mahsa Amini's case." The daughter of the Friday prayer leader of Mashhad dismissed the UN report regarding the deaths of about 500 people, including 71 children, by government forces and the Islamic Republic police, calling the protests "a big lie." She stated, "I think that naturally, such events can happen in any country. However, in our country, they turn into political projects, fundamentally due to the intentions of foreign governments eager to see other events in Iran." In this conversation, Jamileh Alamolhoda also evaded the host's question about the mandatory hijab law and the Hijab and Chastity bill, merely comparing the law to "dress codes everywhere." She said, "You have dress codes everywhere, even here in university environments, in schools, and everywhere. And I must tell you that hijab was a tradition, a religious tradition, accepted by the public. And it has now been a law for years." In February, Jamileh Alamolhoda, in an interview with RT, referred to the incident of Mahsa Amini's death in custody and the subsequent months-long protests as a "scandal," attributing the protest movement to foreign influence. The wife of Ebrahim Raisi claimed that all the "scandal" surrounding the "issue of the late Mahsa Amini" in the country was nothing but "intimidation and fear-mongering" from the United States. She also described the international reactions to Mahsa Amini's death in custody and the treatment of protesters as "a new version of the so-called intimidation policy" against the Islamic Republic.