GENEVA (19 September 2023) – Iran has escalated its crackdown on dissent to prevent public commemoration of Jina Mahsa Amini’s death in police custody last year, UN experts* warned today, after authorities briefly detained her father and beefed-up security nationwide to deter protests planned to mark the anniversary of her death.
“Iran must account for the death of Jina Mahsa Amini in police custody last year and end its crackdown on protests sparked by her demise,” the experts said. “After months of brutally repressing demonstrations over the course of the past year, authorities have imposed restrictions and threatened reprisals against public commemorations planned to mark a year since Jina Mahsa Amini’s tragic death,” they said.
Jina Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman was found dead in police custody on 16 September 2022, after being arrested for failing to comply with Iran’s compulsory veiling or hijab laws. Her death sparked nationwide protests and unrest in Iran, and authorities responded with a brutal crackdown on demonstrators, arresting thousands and executing at least seven people in connection with the protests.