President Masoud Barzani expresses condolences to family of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) President Masoud Barzani on Monday held a phone call with the family of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini who had recently died in the custody of Iranian police in Tehran, according to a statement.
President Barzani expressed his condolences to the family of the 22-year-old Kurdish girl, wishing them peace and strength in this difficult time, a statement from the Kurdish leader’s office read.
He hoped “justice will be served”, the statement added.
Amini was violently arrested by the morality police last week when she was on a family trip to the capital Tehran. She was later admitted to a hospital, where she spent three days in a coma while in police custody.
Reports quickly emerged her death was due to a hit she inflicted as a result of the arrest. The government denied it, saying she died due to a heart attack. Amini’s mother refused she had suffered any underlying condition previously.
“They killed my angel,” she told the BBC Persian on Friday.
Amini’s death triggered violent clashes between protestors and Iranian forces across a number of cities, including her hometown Saqez.
Kurdish shopkeepers went on a general strike on Monday to protest the Kurdish girl’s death.
The government has vowed to investigate the incident.
"They killed my angel," her mother says.
— Kurdistan 24 English (@K24English) September 18, 2022
Mahsa (Zhina) Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish girl, died on Friday while in Iranian police custody after she was arrested by the morality police for not wearing a "proper headdress". #Mahsa_Amini pic.twitter.com/1phHctyxu0