Second Anniversary of Mahsa's Death Amid Security Climate; Amjad Amini Appreciates Strikes and Public Support

On Sunday, September 16, coinciding with the second anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death, which sparked the 'Women, Life, Freedom' protests, Radio Farda has learned that her family is not allowed to leave their home while widespread strikes are ongoing in cities across Kurdistan. Amjad Amini, Mahsa's father, expressed gratitude for the strikes in Kurdistan in an Instagram story published on Sunday afternoon, thanking the public for their support and wishing that 'we never witness the tragic deaths of our children at the hands of those who are supposed to protect the lives and property of the people.' He also described the general strike and widespread solidarity from various sectors, shopkeepers, and Iranians around the world, as a clear protest message to the authorities of the Islamic Republic, stating that 'the children of this country should not be subjected to oppression and injustice as happened to Zhina and others.' On Sunday, videos received by Radio Farda showed a helicopter patrolling over the city of Saqez, and other videos indicated that all shops in the city were closed. Relatives of Mahsa Amini reported to Radio Farda that 'this morning, the Ministry of Intelligence contacted Amjad Amini and stated that he and his wife would be arrested if they left their home.' Amjad Amini had previously told Radio Farda that their family intended to hold a memorial for their daughter on the second anniversary of her death while in the custody of the morality police at the Aichi cemetery on September 16. According to Radio Farda's source, government agents informed the Amini family that 'they do not have the right to leave their home.' Diako Alavi, a journalist from Saqez, Mahsa Amini's hometown, also told Radio Farda that a significant number of plainclothes agents are currently present outside the Amini family's residence, preventing them from leaving. This journalist, who currently resides in Paris, France, stated that security forces are also present throughout the city, and 'they have even collected trash cans in the city.' He mentioned that 'the city is completely shut down, with central neighborhoods like Enqelab Boulevard, Jomhouri Street, Shahnaz Square, and Silo Boulevard, as well as peripheral neighborhoods like Sharifabad, Baharestan, Ustad Shirazi, and Sangbaran, on strike.' He continued, 'In the Quq area, which provides access to the Aichi cemetery, checkpoints have been established. Each individual attempting to pass is interrogated, and some are denied passage.' Following the widespread strikes in various cities in Kurdistan, Kurdpa reported that threatening text messages were sent to shopkeepers and businesses on Sunday evening, warning them about the 'consequences of closure.' The security climate in Saqez continues, with increased arrests on the anniversary of the 'Women, Life, Freedom' protests. Meanwhile, Majegan Eftekhari, Mahsa (Zhina) Amini's mother, wrote in an Instagram story on Sunday afternoon that those responsible for her daughter's death 'will become the eternal disgrace of history.' She added, 'If there is a breath, it is with the name and memory of the sisters and brothers who sacrificed their warm blood for the sake of injustice and alienation, and I have entrusted their names and memories to my radiant Mahsa for eternity, may their names be blessed.' Reports indicate that several days before the second anniversary of the 'Women, Life, Freedom' protests, which began with Mahsa Amini's death in custody of the morality police in 2022 and continued for months, there have been reports of multiple arrests in Kurdistan. Human rights media reported that on Sunday, security forces re-arrested Ahmad Hassan-zadeh, a 57-year-old citizen and father of Mohammad Hassan-zadeh, who was killed during the 2022 protests in the city of Boukan. On Saturday, September 15, it was also reported that access routes to the Aichi cemetery, where Mahsa Amini's grave is located, have been restricted. Simultaneously, various sources, including the Hengaw website, reported that security forces have blocked some access routes to the Aichi cemetery and Mahsa Amini's grave by releasing water from the 'Chiragh Vis' dam into the Saqez River, similar to last year. A large number of political and civil activists, as well as various parties, have issued calls for a general strike in cities across Kurdistan and other cities in Iran on Sunday, coinciding with the anniversary of Mahsa Zhina Amini's death in the custody of the morality police.