On the first anniversary of his daughter’s death in police custody, Mahsa Jina Amini’s father was detained in Iran. Mahsa was a Kurdish Iranian lady whose death ignited countrywide anti-regime rallies.
Mahsa Amini, who was 22 years old at the time of her death, was detained by the so-called morality police of the Islamic Republic of Iran on September 16 of last year for allegedly violating the country’s compulsory hijab legislation.
Amjad Amini’s residence in the Iranian city of Saqez was encircled by security personnel as the country prepared for the anniversary of Mahsa’s death.
The Kurdistan Human Rights Network claims that authorities advised Amjad Amini not to hold a memorial for his daughter’s death before releasing him. The official news agency of the Iranian government, IRNA, stated that Amjad Amini was not arrested and did not confirm whether or not he was imprisoned for any length of time.
Protests against the Iranian regime and its violence against women began soon after Masha’s death, and she became the symbol of the anti-regime movement that has persisted in Iranian towns since last September.
Human Rights Watch says that at least 500 individuals, including 69 children, have been slain or executed during the rallies over the past year. The Iranian government has responded to the protests with protracted internet outages and brutal attempts at repression.
The Iranian diaspora has also staged protests against the Islamic Republic worldwide, with participants waving pictures of Mahsa and other protestors and chanting, “Women, Life, Freedom.”
On Friday, President Joe Biden issued a statement in memory of Mahsa in which he pledged to “stand with” the Iranian people’s cause.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken also issued a statement on Friday that confirmed the latest sanctions.
Some Iranian activists maintain that the United States isn’t doing enough to support the Iranian people despite Blinken’s promises that the government has been striving to keep the Iranian people in the face of severe tyranny.
Activists have voiced their displeasure with President Biden’s proposal to return five Americans held in Iran in exchange for five Iranian nationals already in U.S. custody and to limit Tehran’s access to $6 billion in previously frozen Iranian cash. In the next few days, prisoners may be swapped.
