A group of 34 female prisoners at Tehran's Evin Prison began a hunger strike Sunday, commemorating the second anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death in police custody, which sparked nationwide protests in Iran.
According to VOA News, an Instagram account linked to jailed Nobel peace laureate Narges Monammadi announced the hunger strike, describing it as marking the anniversary of the "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement and Amini's death.
Amini, a 22-year-old woman, died on Sept 16, 2022, days after being detained by Iran's morality police for allegedly violating the country's mandatory hijab law. Her death ignited widespread protests throughout Iran, with demonstrations erupting in streets, universities, and schools that persisted for months.
The government's response to the 2022 protests resulted in hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries and arrests, as reported by VOA News.
On the anniversary, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network reported that Ministry of Intelligence officials have surrounded the home of Amini's parents in Saqqez. The officials allegedly threatened the family and forbade them from leaving their house or visiting their daughter's grave.
In western and northwestern Iranian cities, including Sanandaj, Saqqez, Divandarreh, Mahabad, and Bukan, tradespeople and shopkeepers are reportedly staging a strike to mark the anniversary.
Amini's mother, Mozhgan Eftekhari, took to Instagram to address those responsible for her daughter's death. "They will be eternally disgraced in history," she declared. Reflecting on the events of two years ago, Eftekhari emphasized that Mahsa Amini was seized by "those dark-hearted individuals who could not tolerate the beauty of their nation's daughter" during her trip to the capital.
The family had alleged that Amini was beaten in the police van after her arrest. Police rejected these allegations, stating that Amini died after being taken to a hospital due to a heart attack. However, her family disputes this claim, according to VOA News.
As the anniversary renews focus on Iran's human rights record and the ongoing tensions between the government and civil society, the international community continues to watch developments closely.
