On September 13, 22-year-old Mahsa Amini travelled from the Kurdish town of Saqqez to the Iranian capital, Tehran, with her teenage brother Kiaresh to visit relatives.
She had much to look forward to: her university course was to start soon, and she had plans to celebrate her 23rd birthday later that month.
But a strand of her raven hair emerging from her head scarf would cost Mahsa her life. As she walked out of the subway, she was pounced on by police officers, and accused of not wearing her hijab correctly. She was bundled into a van, beaten, and taken to Vozara detention centre.
Kiaresh, 17, was also assaulted as he objected to her arrest.
Soon after arriving at the detention centre Mahsa collapsed, according to Amnesty International. As other women screamed for someone to call a doctor, police accused the motionless woman of faking her condition. It was two hours before Mahsa was taken to Kasra Hospital. By then, she was in a coma. Three days later, she was dead.
Mahsa died at the hands of Iran's so-called "morality police", and her senseless killing has become a catalyst for a countrywide uprising against Iran's totalitarian regime. Led by women, the uprising has seen thousands take to the streets of Iran, where female protesters have bravely been burning their hijabs, chanting their catchcry "Women.
Life. Freedom" and demanding their rights. Police crackdowns have been swift there are estimates of more than 200 protesters killed across the country and this has increased international outrage, with women across the globe cutting their hair in solidarity and calling for an end to Iran's war on women. As one protester on the streets of Tehran said, "Mahsa could have been any one of us.
This story is from the November 2022 edition of Marie Claire Australia.
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This story is from the November 2022 edition of Marie Claire Australia.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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