Genie out of the bottle: Mahsa Amini’s death gives Iranian women new life

Marking the third anniversary of the death in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, HRW said Iran had ignored findings by a UN fact-finding mission that concluded last year’s crackdown amounted to crimes against humanity, including murder, torture and sexual violence.

“The victims and their families who suffered brutal violence at the hands of Iranian authorities have no prospects for justice, as those who should deliver redress are themselves implicated in violations and crimes,” said Bahar Saba, HRW’s senior Iran researcher. “Countries that can prosecute such cases should seek every opportunity to do so.”

HRW said Iranian courts have executed at least a dozen men linked to the protests after unfair trials, most recently Mehran Bahramian on September 6, following allegations of torture to extract confessions.

It added that compulsory hijab rules -- which led to Amini’s death -- remain in force and are enforced with measures including arbitrary arrests, denial of services, vehicle confiscations and surveillance technologies.

The group said many survivors of the crackdown have fled abroad, often facing medical complications, psychological trauma and harassment of relatives still in Iran. Survivors interviewed by HRW vowed to continue seeking justice, despite threats.

HRW urged foreign governments to use universal jurisdiction to pursue cases against Iranian officials and to provide protection and humanitarian assistance to victims stranded in neighboring states.

The signatories warn that current policies only embolden Tehran, which they describe as a menace to foreign powers and its people alike which survives solely through violence.

“The people of Iran have shed blood and stood firm. Now it is time for the international community to act for its own security. The struggle of the Iranian nation will be remembered in history as a sacrifice not only for freedom but also for the security of the world,” the letter states.

Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian woman, died in September 2022 after being arrested by Iran’s so-called morality police.

Her death sparked widespread outrage and ignited the Women, Life, Freedom protest movement which was quashed with deadly force.

In their letter, the families and victims demanded governments formally designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, cut diplomatic and economic ties with Tehran, and impose sanctions on the IRGC’s financial, military and cyber networks.

"The people of Iran have shed blood and stood firm. Now it is time for the international community to act for its own security. The struggle of the Iranian nation will be remembered in history as a sacrifice not only for freedom but also for the security of the world," it read.

The families portray the Islamic Republic as weakened at home and increasingly isolated abroad. They point to the twelve-day war in June, during which the United States and Israel jointly struck nuclear sites and targeted senior IRGC officials, as a punishing blow.

Meanwhile, Iran’s economy continues to collapse. The rial has lost more than 90 percent of its value since US President Donald Trump imposed “maximum pressure” sanctions in 2018.

Coupled with widespread drought, empty taps and persistent electricity shortages, the instability is fueling fears of mass migration that could destabilize neighboring countries already struggling with refugee challenges.

The letter is signed by more than 100 victims and families of those killed or injured during nationwide uprisings in 2017, 2019, and 2022.

Among the public signatories are the families of people killed during the 2022 protests including Majid Kazemi, Mino Majidi, Pouya Bakhtiari and Aida Rostami, along with dozens of survivors who suffered severe injuries.

Videos circulating on social media show women in the audience not only discarding the compulsory hijab but dancing in unapologetically Western-style attire without a trace of enforced covering.

The scene plays out in a space once tied to Iran’s monarchy, now under the increasingly permissive gaze of the Islamic Republic.

Concertgoers are seen singing and dancing freely, acts that remain technically criminal under the Islamic Republic’s penal code and used to be harshly punished until a few years ago.

The scenes are a sharp contrast to 2023, when women were arrested at another Sirvan concert for what authorities deemed “bad hijabs.”

Mahsa Amini died in Iranian morality police custody, sparking the Woman, Life, Freedom protest movement which was crushed with deadly force but belatedly appears to have blunted Tehran's more repressive tendencies.

A new hijab and chastity law was halted by Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) in May amid concerns it could deepen tensions as geopolitical and economic pressure mount on Iranians.

Iranian freelance music journalist Bahman Babazadeh described this week’s concert as evidence of a deeper shift.

Writing on his social media accounts, he said: “The system and the Islamic Republic have learned their lesson and moved beyond many things. They are past the stupidity of canceling concerts."

"But the system has learned, and for the sake of its survival, it has moved on," wrote Babazadeh.

He also pointed to a concert by the band Bomrani in Shiraz, calling it “the beginning of a major movement for structural change” and reminding his audience that “happiness is the right of the people.”

Only days later, authorities announced Bomrani had been banned from performing in Shiraz and the wider province of Fars, accusing the group of “norm-breaking behavior” during the same show, according to Mehr news agency.

The incident underscored how precarious these cultural openings remain, subject to sudden reversals.

Not everyone sees these changes as real progress. Mercedeh Shahinkar, a Women, Life, Freedom protest survivor who was shot in the eye by security forces in 2022, believes such relaxations amount to “controlled freedoms,” designed to defuse public anger and prevent another nationwide uprising.

While the protests have sparked undeniable social shifts, she argues, the state permits them only as a calculated strategy of survival.

Still, on the eve of the anniversary of Mahsa Jina Amini’s death, the images of young Iranians attending concerts, uncovered, singing, and smiling together carry their own quiet power. For many, they stand as a reminder that her legacy lives on.

Amjad Amini, Mahsa’s father, marked the date with a message on Instagram. “Kurdistan and Iran will never forget the withering of their flowers’ smiles and beauty. We will never forget the butterflies of joy on her lips,” he wrote. The family hailed from Iran's Kurdish minority.

Mahsa Amini, aged 22, was arrested by Iran's morality police in Tehran on September 13, 2022. She died three days later in hospital from injuries sustained in custody, sparking mass protests across Iran.

The demonstrations dubbed the Woman, Life, Freedom movement were quashed with deadly force.

Relatives of victims, sources told Iran International on condition of anonymity, have in recent days been called to intelligence offices in Tehran and other provinces or contacted by phone with warnings not to gather.

Similar tactics were reported in the past two years as authorities sought to prevent public commemorations for Amini and others killed during the crackdown.

A father’s vow

Despite renewed pressure, Amjad Amini published his message on September 14 in remembrance of his daughter.

“The memory and demand for justice for Mahsa 'Jina' and the other slain protesters will never be forgotten,” he wrote using her Kurdish name, adding that her absence remains “a volcano burning eternally in our hearts.”

He also recalled that September 15 would mark the third anniversary of her “state killing,” as he has consistently described it.

Independent rights groups say at least 551 people, including 68 children, were killed during the 2022 uprising sparked by Amini’s death.

Over the weekend, exiled Iranians staged demonstrations in European countries including Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Britain, Denmark, Germany, France and Cyprus as well as in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

The gatherings paid homage to Mahsa Amini and other victims and aimed to raise awareness on the plight of political prisoners in Iran.

HRANA listed their names adding that they were ordered to appear before the third branch of the Sabzevar public and revolutionary prosecutor’s office within 10 days to present their final defense.

According to the report, the individuals face charges of “propaganda against the Islamic Republic,membership in a group aimed at disrupting state security, and assembly and collusion against national security.”

They were previously detained during July demonstrations in Sabzevar against rolling blackouts and water shortages, and later released on bail.

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At the time, videos verified by rights groups showed residents rallying outside the governor’s office, chanting “Water, electricity, life — our absolute rights” and “If we don’t get our rights, we won’t leave.”

The summons comes amid mounting public frustration. Over the summer, Iran faced its second-driest year in five decades, with rainfall 43% below average. Widespread outages have disrupted daily life, industrial production and the economy, triggering protests in several cities such as Shiraz and Kazeroun.

In Sabzevar, protests entered a second night in July, with security forces firing tear gas at demonstrators. Footage sent to Iran International showed crowds chanting “Shameless, shameless” as they fled the crackdown.

Authorities have attributed the shortages to drought and surging demand, while critics cite years of mismanagement, sanctions and neglected infrastructure.