{"id":49103,"date":"2022-11-16T21:39:31","date_gmt":"2022-11-16T21:39:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/?p=49103"},"modified":"2022-12-05T00:04:00","modified_gmt":"2022-12-05T00:04:00","slug":"the-suspicious-death-of-mahsa-amini-has-given-rise-to-ongoing-protest-in-iran-and-beyond","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/the-suspicious-death-of-mahsa-amini-has-given-rise-to-ongoing-protest-in-iran-and-beyond\/","title":{"rendered":"“This is the year of blood”; continued Iranian protests kill activists"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Iranian security forces opened gunfire, killing at least two protesters, on Tuesday, 15 November. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The protest, sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini<\/a>, is one of many demonstrations since her death in September. International criticism of the Iranian government is only expected to heighten as the number of people killed by security forces continues to increase. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This comes as the UN Human Rights Office calls for the immediate release<\/a> of “thousands of people taking part in peaceful demonstrations”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crowds were captured chanting “This year is the year of blood, Seyed Ali will be toppled,\u201d outside of a metro station in Tehran, referring to Iran’s Supreme Leader Sayyid Ali Hosseini Khamenei. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Activists showing support at the People’s Assembly demonstration in Trafalgar Square.
Photo: Cerah Handsaker<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How did the protests get so out of hand? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

22-year-old Iranian woman, Mahsa Amini, died days after being arrested by morality police for allegedly not complying with strict rules on head coverings. They took Amini in for \u201cre-education\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eyewitnesses said Amini was beaten in a transport van before being taken to emergency care. Three days later, the young woman died in hospital after falling into a coma hours after her arrest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photographs of Amini appear to show that she was brutally beaten. Reportedly, she was bruised and unconscious before receiving treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Iranian officials, the woman had lost conciousness at the police station and later passed away due to a heart attack. Time of death also varies from source to source, with some stating she died after three days, and others as soon as one hour later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Iranian media has widely varying accounts of Amini’s death, with many understanding<\/a> that Amini’s family have been forced into following a “state-friendly” narrative. Members of the family have gone as far to be threatened with arrest in the case of uncompliance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This is #Mahsa_Amini<\/a>'s hometown of Saqiz in Kurdistan province.

Mourners are walking to the cemetery to mark the 40th day of her death.

Mahsa's death in custody of Iran's morality police sparked unprecedented protests throughout the country. pic.twitter.com\/4uPHXafrjH<\/a><\/p>— Parham Ghobadi (@BBCParham) October 26, 2022<\/a><\/blockquote>