Mahsa Amini's Father: Judiciary Has Yet to Respond to Family Regarding Case; We Will Hold Anniversary Ceremony

Two years after the killing of Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police, her father, Amjad Amini, told Voice of America that the judiciary of the Islamic Republic has still not provided any response regarding her case to the family. Amjad Amini, the father of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini, spoke on Thursday, September 22, during an interview with Manouchehr Pardel from the Persian section of Voice of America, stating, "Despite the passage of two years since the tragic death of my daughter and the repeated follow-ups and visits by the case lawyers to the prosecutor's office, unfortunately, no response has been given regarding Mahsa's case to our family so far." Previously, Saleh Nikbakht, the lawyer for the Amini family, emphasized that Mahsa's case "has remained in the prosecutor's office, the requested investigations have not yet been conducted, and no court has been established for this case so far." Amjad Amini also announced in an audio file sent to Voice of America that he is attempting to hold a memorial ceremony for the second anniversary of Mahsa's death, provided the government does not impose restrictions. He stated in this audio message that if the Islamic Republic does not create the limitations seen last year, the memorial ceremony for his daughter will be held on Sunday, September 25, considering the public calls and requests. Mahsa (Zhina) Amini died a few days after being detained by the morality police on September 25, 2022, in Kowsar Hospital in Tehran, and her death sparked widespread protests across Iran that continued for months in the streets, universities, and schools. During the crackdown on the nationwide protests of 2022 by government forces, hundreds of citizens were killed, and thousands were injured and arrested. On the eve of the second anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death and the beginning of the protests that followed, officials of the Islamic Republic have increased pressure on the families seeking justice and civil and political activists, while also arresting several citizens in various cities across Iran. Aida Shakeri, the sister of Nika Shakeri, a teenager killed during the nationwide protests of 2022, recently emphasized that "the dimensions of the crimes of the Islamic Republic during the 2022 protests are much broader than what has been revealed so far." As the second anniversary of the nationwide protests of 2022 approaches, several student organizations and students in Iran have issued a statement emphasizing that they continue to stand against "this inhumane government" and will fight to "permanently challenge" and "destroy" it. The students' statement reads: "We neither forgive, nor forget, nor express regret, nor fear, and we do not turn back from the path we have taken. The Islamic Republic will be destroyed sooner or later by the revolutionary victory that is flowing in the veins of society."