Commemoration of Amini:

34 women on hunger strike in Iranian prison

A demonstrator holds up a picture of the Iranian Kurdish woman Jina Mahsa Amini, who was arrested so brutally by moral guards that she died.

(Bild: AFP)

To mark the second anniversary of the protests against the death of Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini, 34 women have gone on hunger strike in an Iranian prison. Activists had already announced numerous demonstrations and extensive security measures had been taken in the country.

The inmates want to commemorate the "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement and the murder of Amini, explained the foundation of Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi on Sunday.

Demonstrations also outside Iran
Activists had already announced numerous protests to commemorate Amini. However, there were fears beforehand that the security forces would consistently prevent at least public protests. There were also to be demonstrations outside Iran.

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Amini (22) died in police custody
In September 2022, Islamic morality watchdogs arrested the then 22-year-old Amini for wearing an improperly fitting headscarf. A few days later, on September 16, 2022, she died in police custody. Iranian authorities said she had fallen ill. Amini's parents and the majority of Iranians, however, blamed the moral guardians and the clerical system for Amini's death.

Largest wave of protests in Iranian history
Her tragic death led to the most violent protests in the 45-year history of the Islamic Republic. Hundreds of people were killed, including dozens of security forces. Thousands of people were arrested. Due to the leap year in the Islamic calendar, the anniversary of the death is commemorated this Sunday in Iran.

Still no permission for funeral service
Amini's father still did not have permission for a funeral service in her hometown of Saqqez on Saturday. "If the rulers allow it, we will celebrate the second anniversary of Mahsa's death," Amjad Amini wrote on Instagram. But it didn't look like that.

According to the news portal Iranwire, the highest alert level was declared in Saqqez in the province of Kurdistan. Locals assumed that security forces deployed there would not allow any gatherings, not even in the form of a funeral service.

According to activists, however, the security measures imposed will not prevent the planned protests. "The "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement continues on its path determined and confident of victory," one of the activists' numerous Instagram messages read. Among the renowned activists are the two Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winners Shirin Ebadi and Narges Mohammadi, who is imprisoned in Tehran.

More and more Iranian women are ignoring the headscarf requirement
Since the protests, more and more Iranian women, especially in large cities, have ignored the obligation to wear the obligatory headscarf. There are still regular - and sometimes violent - checks by the morality police, but without the success hoped for by the leadership. The Islamic dress code is also no longer strictly observed by women. Long jackets and robes were supposed to cover the "provocative female body contours". However, this has become less and less the case since the protests.