Death of Masha Amini Sparks Global Outrage

On September 13, 2022, Iranian Police arrested Masha Amini for not wearing her hijab in public in accordance with government standards; her suspicious death three days later sparked a revolution for Iranian women. Amini’s brother, Kiarash Amini stated he was waiting outside the detention center on the day of her arrest when he heard screaming from the inside of the building. Later, a witness told Amini’s brother that security forces killed a young woman; authorities informed her brother that she suffered a heart attack and a brain seizure while in custody. Upon arrival at Karsa hospital, Masha Amini slipped into a coma. On September 16, 2022 Masha Amini succumbed to her injuries. Authorities claimed that Amini died from an underlying medical condition, however, the family denied the claims and stated that Amini did not suffer from any pre-existing conditions. Amini’s family believe that the cause of death was “significant trauma to the head.”  On September 17, Amini’s funeral took place; after the funeral, female protesters gathered and subsequently, two protestors died from police brutality. Amini’s death inspired women around the globe to fight for women’s equality which resulted in the arrest of over 300 for refusal to wear a hijab. Hadi Ghaemi, the director of the Center for Human Rights in Iran claims, “The repression today, especially against women, is at an all-time high because the state is terrified of young women and their demands for change.” Activists claim that the protests go beyond women rights, and call attention to the harsh realities of police killing women while being in custody.