Mahsa Amini, also known as Jina Amini, was a young Kurdish-Iranian woman arrested in Tehran by Iran’s morality police on September 13, 2022.
They accused her of violating hijab rules. Witnesses reported that she was beaten inside a police van. She fell into a coma and died on September 16. Authorities claimed she suffered heart failure, but her family disputed this, saying she was healthy before her arrest.
News of her death spread quickly online, leading to massive protests across Iran. Women removed and burned headscarves in public, cutting their hair in acts of defiance. The protests soon spread worldwide, becoming one of the largest movements against Iran’s government in decades. Amini’s death became a symbol of resistance for women and human rights activists.
Her name and image were carried in demonstrations from Europe to North America, Asia, and beyond. The slogan “Women, Life, Freedom” gained momentum as a global call for justice. Governments, human rights groups, and world leaders condemned Iran’s actions and called for accountability.
