Iranian women artists, writers and political figures marked the third anniversary of the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, whose case ignited nationwide protests under the slogan Woman, Life, Freedom, saying the movement she inspired remains alive and has reshaped society.
Amini, 22, died on September 16, 2022, after being detained by Iran’s morality police for allegedly violating mandatory hijab rules. Her death sparked months of unrest in which at least 551 protesters, including 68 children, were killed, according to rights groups, and thousands detained.
Sedigheh Vasmaghi, a scholar and writer, said in a video message that Amini’s death was “a spark that triggered a historic movement.” She added: “This movement shifted women from the margins to the center of society and showed that women are no longer sidelined.”
She argued that the protests went beyond hijab rules. “The most important achievement was that women demonstrated their power and changed the thinking of society. Today many men defend women’s rights and believe gender should not be a basis for discrimination,” she said.
Zahra Rahnavard, a Green Movement leader under house arrest, said in a statement that “Iranian women, despite their abilities, are among the most suppressed in the world” due to discriminatory laws and policies.
She described Amini’s death as “a whip across the conscience of the nation” and said the uprising “has given the nation hope for a future free of oppression, backwardness and discrimination.”
Actress Pantea Bahram, banned from working in Iran, reposted a message from Amini’s father and wrote on Instagram: “Your name is a reminder of the beginning of a new era … built with courage, fear, defiance, anger, blood and at times madness. Salute to the girls.”
Another actress barred from work, Katayoun Riahi, criticized the marginalization of dissident artists, writing: “The rule of the game is clear: you are either with us or against us. Elimination is achieved either through defamation or oblivion.” She said younger generations “will not accept these rules” and called for hope in “a brighter future.”
Narges Mohammadi, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and jailed activist, said in an interview that “the movement is alive and ongoing, and its vitality is visible in society’s fabric.”
She said women’s voluntary defiance of hijab rules has weakened state control: “The Islamic Republic no longer has the same power even to hold official events.”
