Mahsa Amini's Father Calls for Second Anniversary Ceremony for His Daughter's Death

Amjad Amini, the father of Mahsa Zhina Amini, stated on Thursday, September 13, in a special message to Farangis Ghazi from Radio Farda that if the Iranian government does not impose the restrictions it did last year, the anniversary ceremony will be held on Sunday, September 17, given the numerous calls and requests from the public. In response to a question from Radio Farda, Mr. Amini referred to the restrictions the Iranian government imposed last year to prevent the anniversary ceremony for his daughter, saying: "We, the family of Mahsa Zhina Amini, like any grieving Iranian family, want and have the right to hold a traditional and religious anniversary ceremony for our lost loved one." Last year, the Islamic Republic authorities blocked all routes leading to the Aichi cemetery in Saqqez, where Mahsa's grave is located, and attempted to close all secondary and main access roads to the cemetery by releasing water from the 'Chiraghvis' dam. Mahsa Zhina Amini, a 22-year-old from Saqqez, traveled to Tehran with her family in September 2022, where she was arrested by the morality police, known as 'Gasht-e Ershad', while exiting the metro station. Three days later, on September 25, state media announced that she had died in Kowsar Hospital in Tehran. Her burial on September 26, which was attended by a large crowd and accompanied by slogans against the government and the slogan 'Women, Life, Freedom', quickly turned into the largest nationwide protests against the Islamic Republic. These protests were severely suppressed by the government. There are many ambiguities regarding the number and identity of those killed by government forces during these protests. Human rights organizations have generally provided varying statistics without announcing details and identities of the deceased, stating that the death toll exceeds 500. Radio Farda has managed to confirm the identities of at least 373 of the deceased. Subsequent reports indicate that the security agencies of the Islamic Republic have even prevented the holding of Nowruz ceremonies in the Aichi village, which is near Mahsa Amini's grave.