Joint Statement by the US, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the UK on the Second Anniversary of Mahsa's Death: We Stand with Iranian Women and Girls

The foreign ministers of the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom issued a joint statement on the second anniversary of the death of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini in the custody of the morality police, describing her death as "the spark of a nationwide protest movement led by women and girls" that remains a "united" movement despite government repression. The foreign ministers emphasized in the statement: "We stand with the women and girls in Iran, and with Iranian human rights defenders in their ongoing daily struggle for human rights and fundamental freedoms. In the brutal crackdown by Iranian security forces in 2022 and 2023, at least 500 people were killed and over 20,000 were detained. However, the global movement for women, life, freedom is united." The statement mentions that the independent international fact-finding mission on Iran, established by the UN Human Rights Council, has stated that many human rights violations against protesters constitute crimes against humanity. The Islamic Republic of Iran has yet to address these allegations and has not cooperated with this internationally recognized mandate. The foreign ministers noted the Iranian government's enforcement of mandatory hijab laws, stating that women and girls continue to face severe repression in Iran... and that the Iranian government has strengthened its surveillance infrastructure to arrest, detain, and in some cases torture women and girls for their peaceful activities. The statement adds: "We call on the new Iranian government to fulfill its commitment to reduce pressure on civil society in Iran and to end the use of force to enforce hijab requirements. The recent increase in executions, largely carried out without fair trials, has been shocking, and we urge the Iranian government to stop human rights violations now. We will continue our efforts to hold the Iranian government accountable" and will use all tools to "promote accountability for human rights violators, including through sanctions and visa restrictions." "The Biden administration will continue to support the people of Iran and hold the Islamic Republic accountable." On Monday, Abram Paley, the Deputy Special Representative of the United States for Iran, stated in an exclusive interview with the Persian section of Voice of America that the Biden administration will continue to support the people of Iran and hold the Islamic Republic accountable. Mr. Paley expressed regret at the beginning of this interview about the ongoing brutal violence of the Islamic Republic against Iranian citizens. According to him, the Islamic Republic continues to detain, conduct sham trials, execute, commit sexual violence, and engage in various other forms of repression, which is why the United States continues to raise awareness on this issue. This American diplomat stated that after Mahsa Amini's death, her legacy lives on, and Iranian women and girls continue to recount Mahsa's story while pursuing their demands for a free and democratic Iran, and the world continues to witness the brutal repression of the Iranian people by the Islamic Republic. The Deputy Special Representative of the United States for Iran reminded that the repression of the Iranian people has continued during the presidency of Masoud Pezeshkian despite his promises, and for this reason, the United States supports the missions of the UN fact-finding team and the special rapporteur on Iran. He regarded the US-led efforts to remove the Iranian government from the UN Commission on the Status of Women as an important symbolic act by the international community to express solidarity with Iranian women and the people of Iran, and emphasized that the US, in cooperation with its partners and allies around the world, will continue to strive to reflect the voices of the protests of women and the people of Iran. According to Abram Paley, the US judges the Iranian government based on its actions, not the statements of its officials, and will continue to support the people of Iran and hold the Islamic Republic accountable using its powers, including the "Mahsa Law." At the end of this interview, on behalf of the President, the Vice President, and the Secretary of State of the United States, he addressed the people of Iran, stating that Washington continues to see them, hears their voices, and will continue to hold the Islamic Republic of Iran accountable. On the evening of Sunday, September 25, Abram Paley also posted on social media to commemorate the second anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death in the custody of the Islamic Republic's morality police, reiterating the continued support of the United States for human rights and the demands of the Iranian people for a "free and democratic Iran." The nationwide protests of 1401, which began in response to Mahsa Amini's death on the evening of September 25 of that year in front of Kasra Hospital in Tehran, intensified with the significant presence of citizens at her funeral in Saqqez and subsequently gained national scope, continuing for months in public spaces, schools, and universities. The name Mahsa (Zhina) Amini, as inscribed on her grave during her burial, became a "code name" for these protests both inside and outside Iran. The repression of peaceful protests by official and plainclothes forces of the Islamic Republic reportedly left over five hundred dead. Another notable incident during these protests was the widespread shooting of protesters by government forces during Friday prayers in Zahedan in Mehr of the same year, which left dozens dead; this incident became known as the "Bloody Friday of Zahedan." Australia imposed sanctions on "five security and military officials of the Iranian government" on the second anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death. Amir Hossein Moradi and Ali Younesi stated on the anniversary of Mahsa: a spark could start a "uprising to overthrow Khamenei." Political prisoners in Qezel Hesar commemorated the second anniversary of Mahsa's death: Khamenei is a tyrant, we will bury you under the soil. More former officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran will be banned from entering Canada. The US supports the people of Iran on the second anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death; new sanctions against the government will be imposed.