Second Anniversary of Mahsa; From Strikes in Kurdistan to Gatherings Worldwide, Message from the US Representative

The second anniversary of Mahsa Zhina Amini's death in the custody of the morality police and the beginning of the "Women, Life, Freedom" protests was marked, as last year, by the prevention of her family's attempts to hold a memorial ceremony and strikes in several cities in Kurdistan province. Amjad Amini, Mahsa's father, expressed gratitude on Sunday, September 16, for the widespread solidarity of tradespeople, shopkeepers, and all people in Kurdish areas and Iranians around the world. In his Instagram post, Mr. Amini emphasized that this solidarity serves as a "clear warning and message of protest to the authorities that they should never treat the children of this country with the same brutality as what happened to Zhina and others like her." Following various calls, several cities in Kurdistan province witnessed strikes by traders and shopkeepers on Sunday. According to the Hengaw website and other media covering Kurdish areas, strikes took place in cities including Saqqez, Mahabad, Boukan, Divandareh, Sanandaj, Marivan, Oshnavieh, Kermanshah, Qorveh, and Piranshahr, some of which were accompanied by threats from security agencies or "several instances of shop locks being broken." Mojgan Ekhtiyari, Mahsa Amini's mother, also emphasized in a message that "those who could not bear to see the beauty of their homeland's daughter... will become the eternal disgrace of history on the forehead of the world." Other figures, families of the victims, and political prisoners also issued messages on the anniversary of Mahsa Zhina Amini's death in custody and the start of the "Women, Life, Freedom" protests. A group of families of those killed in the protests issued a joint message on social media, addressing the people: "From today, wherever you are, place a flower in their memory." The UN Women’s Office also noted the escalation of violence against women in Iran over the past two years, stating: "We stand with Iranian women to achieve their rightful demands for equality and the exercise of their rights, including the right to choose their dress." Narges Mohammadi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and political prisoner in Iran, reiterated her call for international bodies to criminalize gender apartheid, writing: "The liberation of women from the grip of oppression and discrimination empowers the driving force of peace and democracy." Meanwhile, Abram Paley, Deputy Special Representative of the U.S. State Department for Iran, emphasized the continued support of the U.S. government for protesters inside Iran, stating: "Mahsa Amini was arrested and subsequently killed solely for not wearing the government-mandated hijab." In a video message, Mr. Paley asserted that the Iranian regime responded "brutally" to the "Women, Life, Freedom" protests, which included widespread arrests, sexual violence, forced confessions, torture, and executions following sham trials. Additionally, Prince Reza Pahlavi stated on Sunday that "Mahsa Amini's voice is still alive," writing on social media platform X: "The path of all the immortal heroes of the homeland who sacrificed their lives for the freedom and dignity of Iran continues; shout their glorious names loudly, share their stories of bravery, support their brave families, and stand shoulder to shoulder against the Islamic Republic regime. Together we are stronger." Amir Hossein Moradi and Ali Younesi, two elite students and political prisoners, also emphasized in a message: "The generation that fought valiantly in Mahsa's uprising was arrested and martyred, but did not surrender and will not surrender." These two political prisoners stated: "The deceptive physician claimed that students have the right to protest but did not say what happens to students after they protest," asserting that this right and the right to people's sovereignty will be "achieved at any cost alongside the people." On Sunday, gatherings and marches were also held in various cities around the world, including Paris, London, Los Angeles, Toronto, New York, Hamburg, Washington, and Stockholm. Mahsa (Zhina) Amini was a 22-year-old woman from Saqqez who was arrested by the morality police in Tehran on September 13, 2022, and died on September 16 after three days in a coma at Kasra Hospital in Tehran. Her death sparked widespread and months-long protests in Iran under the name "Women, Life, Freedom," which faced severe governmental repression. The "Women, Life, Freedom" movement is referred to as the most extensive and profound protests of the Iranian people against the Islamic Republic government.