US calls on Iran to end systematic persecution of women
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday called on the Iranian authorities to end their systematic persecution of women and to allow peaceful protest.
Mahsa Amini should be alive today. Instead, the United States and the Iranian people mourn her. We call on the Iranian government to end its systemic persecution of women and to allow peaceful protest. #مهسا_امینی
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) September 20, 2022
“Mahsa Amini should be alive today. Instead, the United States and the Iranian people mourn her,” he said in a tweet.
“We call on the Iranian government to end its systemic persecution of women and to allow peaceful protest.”
Read More: US Iran Envoy calls for accountability for death of Mahsa Amini
Also the US Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley on Friday called on Iran to end violence against women, after the death of Amini.
Read More: EU says death of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini unacceptable
The spokesperson of the European External Action Service on Monday said what happened to the 22-year-old Kurdish girl, who had died last week in the custody of Iranian police in Tehran, is ‘unacceptable’.
According to the Kurdish human rights organization Hengaw, at least three civilians have been killed and 221 injured since Saturday, during which strikes and protests in different provinces in Iranian Kurdistan erupted.
More than 250 Kurdish civilians were arrested by Iranian security forces, the organization added.
Hengaw said people organized protests and strikes in at least 24 cities of Iranian Kurdistan to protest the killing of Zhina Amini at the hands of the Iranian morality police.
Kurdistan 24 could not independently confirm the figures.
🇮🇷#Iran: Acting UN Human Rights Chief calls for investigation into #Mahsa_Amini's death in custody following her arrest for what was perceived to be “improper” hijab. @NadaNashif also condemns the violent response by security forces to ensuing protests.
— UN Human Rights (@UNHumanRights) September 20, 2022
👉 https://t.co/S9Yxr46Ffk pic.twitter.com/Q5pPkKCoXY
Also acting UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Nada Al-Nashif on Tuesday "expressed alarm at the death in custody of Mahsa Amini - detained by Iran’s “morality police” enforcing strict hijab rules - and the violent response by security forces to ensuing protests."
After her death, reportedly Col Ahmed Mirzaei, the head of the moral security police of Greater Tehran, had been fired.
The Guardian reported on Monday that a CT scan of Amini’s head showed a bone fracture, haemorrhage, and brain edema, seemingly confirming that she died due to being struck on the head.
The Iranian police earlier released a video claiming she died from illness, but her family has denied these claims.
"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