U.S. & Allies Mark Anniversary of Amini’s Death

September 16, 2024

The United States and its allies pledged support for Iranians on the second anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini, a young Kurdish woman who died in police detention for alleged “improper” hijab, or headscarf, in 2022. “We call on the new Iranian administration to fulfil its pledge to ease pressure on civil society in Iran and to end the use of force to enforce the hijab requirement,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement with the foreign ministers of Australia, Britain, Canada and New Zealand. President Masoud Pezeshkian, who took office in July 2024, had criticized the government’s enforcement of mandatory hijab.

Reformist newspapers in Iran devoted their front pages to coverage of Amini's death in September 2022

In separate statements, U.S. officials condemned the regime’s ongoing crackdown on women, girls, and members of ethnic and religious minorities. The United States “will continue to hold the regime to account for its many human rights abuses, including through additional actions we will take this week, and continue to support the Iranian people in their aspirations for a free and democratic Iran,” Deputy Special for Iran Envoy Abram Paley said in a video message posted on X.

The European Union urged the Islamic Republic to end systemic discrimination against women and girls in both public and private life. “With the dire human rights situation in Iran, especially suppressing the rights of women, these voices, calling for dignity and equality, must still be heard and respected,” E.U. foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.

A dozen human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch, issued a joint statement urging Iran to repeal the compulsory hijab law, abolish the death penalty, free political prisoners and more. "Despite the release of many protesters under the general amnesty, numerous activists, including feminist activists and women's rights defenders, remain in prison or face imminent imprisonment."

Amini's death sparked nationwide protests and calls for greater personal freedoms that quickly morphed into cries for the downfall of the regime. The 2022-2023 demonstrations were the most significant since the 2009 Green Movement, but security forces were able to maintain control. The government response included extra-judicial and unlawful killings and murder, unnecessary and disproportionate use of force, arbitrary deprivation of liberty, torture, rape, enforced disappearances, and gender persecution, according to a U.N. report. The following are statements from the United States and its allies on the second anniversary of Amini’s death.

 

The United States, Britain, Australia, Canada and New Zealand

Statement by foreign ministers on Sept. 16, 2024: "Two years ago today, Mahsa Zhina Amini, a young Kurdish-Iranian woman, was killed while in police custody in Iran. Her death sparked a nationwide protest movement, led by women and girls, which was unwavering in its demand for a better future.

"We stand with women and girls in Iran, and Iranian human rights defenders, across all segments of society in their ongoing daily fight for human rights and fundamental freedoms. At least 500 persons died and over 20,000 were detained in the Iranian security forces’ brutal crackdown on displays of dissent in 2022 and 2023. But the global “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement remains united.

"The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) on Iran, established by the United Nations Human Rights Council, has said that many of the human rights violations perpetrated against protesters amount to crimes against humanity. The Iranian government has yet to address these allegations and has not cooperated with this internationally recognized mandate.

"In daily life, women and girls continue to face severe repression in Iran. The renewed “Noor” hijab crackdown, which enforces Iran’s law requiring women to wear headscarves, has spurred a fresh round of harassment and violence. The Iranian government has bolstered its surveillance infrastructure to arrest, detain, and in some cases torture women and girls for their peaceful activism. According to human rights organisations, Iran is one of the foremost executioners of women globally.

"We call on the new Iranian administration to fulfil its pledge to ease pressure on civil society in Iran and to end the use of force to enforce the hijab requirement. The recent surge in executions that have largely occurred without fair trials has been shocking, and we urge the Iranian government to cease its human rights violations now. We, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States, will continue to act in lockstep to hold the Iranian government accountable and will use all relevant national legal authorities to promote accountability for Iranian human rights violators, including through sanctions and visa restrictions."

 

U.S. Deputy Special for Iran Envoy Abram Paley

 

U.S. Ambassador-at-Large (Office of Global Women’s Issues) Dr. Geeta Rao Gupta

 

European Union

Statement by the High Representative on Sept. 16, 2024: "On the anniversary of the death of Jina Mahsa Amini, we honour her memory and the 'Women, Life, freedom' movement driven by the courage and determination of countless Iranians, especially women. Two years ago, Iranians have taken to the streets to demand respect for fundamental freedoms. With the dire human rights situation in Iran, especially suppressing the rights of women, these voices, calling for dignity and equality, must still be heard and respected.

"The crackdown on the 'Women, Life, freedom' movement by the Iranian authorities caused hundreds of deaths, thousands of unjust detentions and harm and severe limitations to freedom of opinion and expression and other civic freedoms. Iranian judicial authorities used disproportionally harsh sentences, including capital punishment, against protesters. The EU takes the occasion to reiterate its strong and unequivocal opposition to the death penalty at all times, in all places and in all circumstances, especially taking into account the worrying increase in executions recorded in Iran over the past years. The EU also recalls that under international law the prohibition of torture is absolute. There are no reasons, circumstances or exceptions whatsoever that could be invoked as a justification for its use.

"The EU continues to call upon Iran to eliminate, in law and in practice, all forms of systemic discrimination against all women and girls in public and private life and to take gender-responsive measures to prevent and ensure protection for women and girls against sexual and gender-based violence in all its forms. The EU believes in and speaks up for fundamental rights such as freedom of expression, including online and offline, and freedom of assembly, which must be respected in all circumstances. A strong and free civil society is essential.

"Once again, the EU calls on Iran to implement the relevant international treaties and agreements to which it is a party, to allow free and unhindered access to the country for relevant UN Human Rights Council's Special Procedures mandate holders and to fully cooperate with the independent, international Fact-Finding Mission mandated by the Human Rights Council. We demand that the perpetrators of violence and human rights violations be held accountable.

"The EU also calls on Iran to immediately cease the unacceptable and unlawful practice of arbitrary detention, including of EU and dual EU-Iranian citizens and to immediately set them free.

"The EU and its Member States continue to call on the Iranian authorities to respect and uphold the rights of its citizens, to allow peaceful protest, and to grant their fundamental freedoms."