Who Mahsa Amini, who was allegedly beaten to death for breaking Iran’s Hijab law, she was…

Mahsa Amini: In September 2022, Mahsa Amini was arrested by the Guidance Patrol Police on her visit to Tehran from Saqqez. The possible reason for her arrest is her improper wearing of the hijab, which breaks the compulsory Hijab law of Iran. 

According to the media reports, this led to the severe beating of Amini by the patrol officers, which resulted in her death after three days of beating in the hospital. However, the Guidance Patrol forces and the responsible authorities of Iran denied these claims. The death of Mahsa resulted in widespread protests throughout the country, which were led by female protestors, including school children.

Who was Mahsa Amini?

Mahsa Amini was almost 23 years of age when she passed away. The woman was born on September 21, 1999, and died in the custody of the patrol officials on September 16, 2022. Mahsa was a young and ambitious lady who was about to start her studies at the university in late 2022. 

How was Amini detained, which led to her killing?

On September 13, Amini was detained by Gasht-e Ershad for wearing improper clothing. During this time, she was accompanied by her brother on a visit to Tehran, who was told that Mahsa would be taken to a detention centre for not wearing the correct public attire and would be given the corrective class. Some eyewitnesses and women reported that Amini was severely beaten by the authorities in an attempt to cease her arrest.

On the same day, in the evening at the centre, the woman collapsed and was taken to a hospital, where she passed away after three days.

What was the public reaction?

The death of Mahsa Amini sparked protests by the women. Several Kurdish women assembled at Amini’s funeral and loudly shouted, “Jin, Jiyan, Azadî”, which means Woman, Life, Freedom. 

Many women went ahead to remove their headscarves, and the protests took a serious turn. However, the exact cause of Mahsa’s death is still not known.