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Mahsa Amini’s Arrest
On September 13 2022, 22 year-old Mahsa Amini who was visiting Tehran from the Kurdistan region of Iran, was arrested by the “morality police '' who enforce the Islamic Republic’s conservative and strict dress code. This includes the compulsory hijab which Amini was accused of violating.
Niloufar Hamedi
Niloufar Hamedi, a female Iranian journalist, was the first to publish Mahsa Amini’s hospitalization after her arrest. She shared the viral photo of Mahsa’s emotional parents in the hospital. The week after her report, Hamedi was arrested and taken to the notorious Evin Prison where she was interrogated and left in solitary confinement.
This February, presented by Margaret Atwood, Hamedi was awarded the International Press Freedom Award from Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) in absentia. She is still in jail today.
Mahsa Amini’s Death
On September 16, Mahsa Amini passed away after being in a coma. While the authorities deny their involvement in her death, her father saw bruises on her legs and holds the police accountable.
#MahsaAmini
مهسا امینی#
The day after Mahsa’s death, protests began in her home region in Kurdistan province. Quickly, protests erupted across the country, including 80 cities. Social media became a method for protest as Iranian women showed their solidarity by burning their hijab and cutting their hair.
Sanandaj Protests
Protests erupt in Sanandaj, a city in Kurdistan province. Videos shared on social media show women protesting the death of Mahsa Amini on the streets without hijab.
Internet Shutdown
Days into the protests, authorities shut down mobile data and restricted use of Instagram and Whatsapp.
“First, they want to stop protesters from communicating with each other and second, they want to stop them from sending evidence and images of these violations to the outside world,” Amir Rashidi told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Hossein Ronaghi
On September 22, Hossein Ronaghi, well-known Iranian activist and blogger, was arrested. He had been reporting on the protests, internet disruption, and more.
Hadis Najafi
September 25th, Hadis Najafi, a 20 year old protester in Karaj was shot six times by security forces, and killed. She is only one of many killed during these protests.
Nationwide Strikes
Nationwide protests began in Iran on September 26th, as university students and teachers strike. Protesters who call for the end to the Islamic Republic, are afraid of taking their cell phones with them in case of confiscation and texts/images being used against them.
“Baraye”/“For” - Song by Shervin Hajipour
Day 16 of the revolution, musician Shervin Hajipour posted the song “Baraye”, meaning “For”, to his Instagram account. The song, with lyrics inspired by tweets, quickly went viral and became the anthem of this revolution.
The next day, Shervin was arrested and the video was taken down from his Instagram account. The video had over 40 million views.
Watch the video with English translation below