Two years ago today, the tragic death of a young girl at the hands of the Islamic regime’s agents, exploded into the consciousness of the public in Iran and around the world. The outcry of the people, of all ages and genders, spilled over into the streets all around the country. The violent response by the fascist regime turned the peaceful protests into a battlefield. Over 500 protestors were killed and thousands injured during those bloody days and months that followed, what became known as the Woman, Life, Freedom protests continued to resist the barbaric attacks and the suppression that followed and has since flourished into a full fledge resistance movement.
After many months of bloodshed, arrests and torture of many thousands of protestors, people in Iran continue to endure the devastating consequences of the regime’s brutal crackdown of any voices for justice. During this period, the Islamic regime’s agents have tried to silence the relatives seeking truth and justice for the unlawful killings of their loved ones through arbitrary detention, unjust prosecution, death threats and other forms of harassment.
As the Amnesty International stated: “The anniversary of the ‘Woman Life Freedom’ uprising is a haunting reminder that countless people in Iran are still reeling from the consequences of the authorities’ brutal crackdown. Victims, survivors and their relatives continue to be denied truth, justice and reparation for crimes under international law and other grave human rights violations committed by Iranian officials during and in the aftermath of the uprising,”
As part of their ongoing efforts to quash the powerful women’s rights movement against compulsory veiling that intensified following the death of Mahsa, Islamic regime’s authorities launched a new nationwide campaign called the “Noor Plan” in April 2024. Since then, there has been a visible increase of security patrols on foot, motorbikes, cars and police vans in public spaces to enforce compulsory hijab.
The all-out assault on women and girls who only ask for their basic human rights and freedom of expression, is being carried out by various state entities. The enforcers of Iran’s degrading and discriminatory compulsory hijab laws include the so called “Morality Police”, traffic police, prosecution offices, courts, the Ministry of Intelligence, the Revolutionary Guards, including its Basij forces, and plainclothes agents. The assault on the young girls and women has continued, Armita Geravand, a 17 year old was beaten unconscious on her way to school and passed away in coma last October. Her death along with many others like that is an alarming sign that such incidents continue to threat the lives of innocent women.
Along with that, since the “Woman Life Freedom” uprising, Iranian authorities have doubled down on their use of the death penalty, with 2023 seeing the highest number of executions for eight years, as the authorities resorted to use of the death penalty as a tool of oppression to terrorize the public. There have been over 400 executions so far this year.
To intimidate the population, authorities have arbitrarily executed 10 men since December 2022 in relation to the September-December 2022 protests, including Reza Rasaei who was executed in secret on 6 August 2024.
These executions were carried out following grossly unfair and sham trials which relied on “confessions” extracted under torture and other ill-treatment, including sexual violence, that were not independently and impartially investigated.
In December 2023, Amnesty International detailed the harrowing use of rape, including gang rape, and other forms of sexual violence by Iranian authorities as they sought to crush protests and terrorize and punish protesters, including children as young as 12. Despite all the evidence of many such atrocities, Iranian officials suspected of criminal responsibility for crimes under the international law and other human rights violations have continued to evade justice.
As Minnesota’s Iranian American community has continued to actively draw attention to the suppression of peaceful protesters in Iran over the past two year, we implore all freedom loving people to support our call for justice and human rights for our compatriots back home.
Today as we commemorate and mourn the tragedies which has taken place in the last two years, our community of conscientious, like minded expats in Minnesota gather to pay respect to all the victims and honor their sacrifices, especially to the brave women in Iran, for their struggle for freedom, equality and justice, and we reiterate our continued support for the cause of liberty and justice for all in Iran.
On this day, our simultaneous outcry around the world is the echo of the voices of our brave and dedicated brothers and sisters in Iran. Its message is to seek human rights and justice, asking for support from all freedom loving people around the world and to remind our political leaders that there can never be a realistic expectation for a normal and peaceful coexistence with the murderess regime, as long as the Islamic Republic exists.
On behalf of the Minnesota Committee in Support of a Democratic Iran and in the name of Mahsa Amini and thousands other victims of this barbaric regime, we thank you for your continued support and your presence here today.
As we celebrate the bravery and determination of the Iranian people in their peaceful struggle for a just and fair society we ask you to; say her name…
Woman, Life, Freedom
September 15th 2024, Minneapolis, MN
