JINA MAHSA AMINI
The face of Iran's protests. Her life, her dreams and her death.

In memory of Jina 'Mahsa' Amini, the cornerstone of the 'Zan. Zendagi. Azadi revolution.
16 February 2023 | By Gino d'Artali

And also

Read all about the assasination of the 22 year young Jhina Mahsa Amini or Zhina Mahsa Amini (Kurdistan-Iran) and the Zan, zendagi, Azadi (Women, life, freedom) revolution in Iran  2022
and the ZZA Revolution per month: June -- 16 - 1--May 31 -16-- May 15-1--April--March--Feb--Jan 2023  
covering the period of the 'Women Life Freedom' revolution in 2023 and with links to the period of  the murdering of Jina Mahsa Amini on September 2022 'till December 2022.. 
updated 24 May 2023

and

 
Gino d'Artali
Indept investigative journalist
CLICK HERE ON HOW TO READ ALL ON THIS PAGE

Click here for the 2022 'Chapters'

When one hurts or kills a women
one hurts or kills hummanity and is an antrocitie.
Gino d'Artali
and: My mother (1931-1997) always said to me <Mi figlio, non esistono notizie <vecchie> perche puoi imparare qualcosa da qualsiasi notizia.> Translated: <My son, there is no such thing as so called 'old' news because you can learn something from any news.>
Gianna d'Artali.

Jinha - Womens News Agency - May 22, 2023
<<Iranian prisoner referred to psychiatrist even though she does not suffer any mental illness
Mahabad- Nahed Hajtmand, a 40-year-old mother of four, was arrested without a warrant by the Intelligence Department in Mahabad on April 29, 2023. For about three weeks, no one knew her location. According to the reports received from her family, she has been held in Urmia Prison on charges of <setting fire to the house of one of the Basij members> in November last year and <slandering the Islamic Republic of Iran>.
During the visit with her family in Urmia prison, Nahed Hajtmand talked about the difficult conditions in the prison and said that she had been referred to a psychiatrist even though she does not suffer from any mental illness. Nahed Hajtmand has been able to see her husband and children only once since she has been arrested. <She suffers from a physical illness. Although she needs special treatment under the supervision of a doctor, she has been denied access to her medicines,> one of her relatives said.
Their house was raided twice
This is not the first time that Nahid Hajtamand and her family have been harassed by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and the intelligence services. At the beginning of the <Jin, Jiyan, Azadi> uprising, their home was raided twice on charges of <illegal weapons possession>. Their house was searched and their electronic devices were confiscated. Her relative told us, <But they found nothing to accuse them and Nahid Hajtamand denied all charges against them.> According to local sources, the Basij member known as <Hussein Busheh> lost his house and his expensive car during the Jina Mahsa Amini uprising and now plans to take money from Nahid Hajtamand for his damaged car. The local sources also say that the family of Nahid Hajtamand is ready to pay a bail for the release of Nahid Hajtamand. Her family demands the immediate release of Nahid Hajtamand and all political prisoners.>>
Source:
https://jinhaagency1.com/en/actual/iranian-prisoner-referred-to-psychiatrist-even-though-she-does-not-suffer-any-mental-illness-33315

Iranwire - May 22, 2023
<<Iran's Shamkhani Steps Down from Top Security Post
An Iranian official took over the post of secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council after longtime incumbent Ali Shamkhani stepped down, state media reported. President Ebrahim Raisi issued a decree replacing Shamkhani with a commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp (IRGC), Ali Akbar Ahmadian, media reports said on May 22. They did not offer any explanation for the change. Reuters news agency quoted an <Iranian insider> as saying that the change in leadership at the council, the highest-level body to deal with security matters under Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, was unlikely to have an impact on its policies and that Shamkhani might be considered for a <more important position.> >>
Read more here:
https://iranwire.com/en/news/116789-irans-shamkhani-steps-down-from-top-security-post/
Opinion by Gino d'Artali: Still not down but we have time.

Preface note to the following quote from an Iranwire article published today, May 21, 2023:
I highly solidarize with the Kurdisch people and Jina Mahsa Amini (Allah has her soul), who was a Kuridisch-Iranian is insofar mentioned in it, be it not by name, because the mentioned Iranian delegation left the ceremonical opening of a Kurdisch musem. Now, Cryfreedom.net is not a political magazine but a womens' rights and journalists magazine but still I want to bring to your attention, with your permission, the following article:
Iranwire - May 22, 2023 - By HAWARI YOUSEFI
<<
....
After the outbreak of nationwide protests in Iran in September 2022, the Islamic Republic accused Iranian opposition parties in Iraqi Kurdistan of provoking unrest and using Iraqi territory against Iran. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has repeatedly launched missile and drone attacks against bases of Iranian Kurdish groups deep inside Iraqi Kurdistan, and Tehran has demanded that these groups be disarmed and their bases and camps be dismantled. What Was the Reaction of Kurdish Parties to the Iranian Delegation's Protest? <During the ceremony we were informed by our hosts that the Islamic Republic's consul-general and his delegation had left the ceremony,> Mohammad Saleh Ghaderi tells IranWire. He describes the move as undiplomatic, <medieval, and as a clear example of the Islamic Republic's denial of Kurdish identity. Representatives of the Islamic Republic showed the true nature of the Islamic Republic, which for a long time has denied the question of Kurds in Iran,> Ghaderi says. <It was also an expression of its hatred toward solidarity and union among the Kurds across the four parts of Kurdistan [in Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey] in an official ceremony.>
....>>
Read more here:
https://iranwire.com/en/politics/116780-tehran-protests-kurdish-presence-at-official-ceremony-in-northern-iraq/

NCRI - Women Committee - in Podcast - May 22, 2023 - By HAWARI YOUSEFI
<<Activists, Lawyers, and Teachers Battle for Rights in Iran
In this episode of the NCRI Women's Committee podcast, we have a pressing and alarming topic to delve into-the relentless pressures exerted on women activists from all walks of life to intimidate and terrorize Iranian society, with the aim of stifling any potential uprisings. Furthermore, we will briefly examine the alarming escalation of executions in Iran and the inhumane treatment endured by the families of execution victims. Lastly, we will address the heartbreaking struggles faced by the families of death row prisoners, highlighting the immense hardships they endure. Over the past two weeks, approximately 70 lawyers have been summoned by the clerical regime in Iran. This alarming development raises concerns about the freedom of expression and the ability of lawyers to defend their clients without fear of reprisal. It's important to note that this is not an isolated incident but rather part of a wider pattern of repression and human rights violations targeting lawyers and human rights defenders in Iran. Lawyers in Iran face numerous challenges, ranging from restrictions on their ability to represent their clients effectively to harassment, intimidation, and even imprisonment. The clerical regime often uses vague and broadly interpreted national security laws to silence lawyers who dare to advocate for justice or take on politically sensitive cases. This not only infringes upon their professional rights but also undermines the principles of a fair and impartial legal system. The regime has conducted widespread arrests targeting labor activists, women’s rights activists, human rights activists, and journalists. They are summoning journalists who were previously released in February, falsely claiming to have granted them amnesty. On the eve of Teachers' Day in Iran, they raided the residence of an imprisoned teacher and arrested several teachers and labor activists. These women activists and journalists have tirelessly worked to report the truth, improve working conditions, and fight against human rights violations. Unfortunately, their dedication has come at a tremendous personal cost under the oppressive rule of the regime. Iranian student activists who participated in the 2022-2023 Iran protests are facing similar challenges. The right to education is a fundamental human right, yet many students are systematically excluded from pursuing their studies due to their activism.
Over the past month, numerous students have been summoned and informed that they are not allowed to continue their education. They are either suspended or dismissed from school. However, Iranian students remain resilient and determined to continue their fight for a better future.
The families of death row prisoners in Iran, already burdened with the anguish of having loved ones facing imminent execution, have been subjected to further suffering. Instead of receiving support and empathy, they have faced harassment and intimidation from authorities. Their cries for justice and pleas to spare the lives of their loved ones have been met with brutality. Several women were beaten up during their protests outside the Qezel Hesar Prison in Karaj. The security forces fired tear gas at them. The families of prisoners also organized rallies in Tehran, Isfahan, and Bandar Abbas. Despite the risks and threats, these brave individuals gathered in solidarity to demand an end to the escalating executions in Iran. The prisoners’ children held up signs, reading, <Don't execute my dad!> We even had a case where the wife of a prisoner who died due to poisoning, was also arrested and imprisoned, leaving her children without any care and support. We should remember that behind each number and execution order, there are real lives hanging in the balance and grieving families desperate to save the lives of their loved ones. More than 120 prisoners, including three political prisoners, were executed in Iran over the past month, alone. Most of these prisoners were convicted of drug-related charges which according to the international law are not punishable by death!>>
Source:
https://women.ncr-iran.org/2023/05/21/activists/

NCRI - Women Committee - in Women's news - May 21, 2023
<<Retirees Hold Protest Gatherings in Cities Across Iran
On Sunday, May 21, 2023, retirees of the Social Security organization held protest gatherings in the cities of Rasht, Shushtar, Shush, Isfahan, Arak, and Kermanshah in front of the Social Security buildings in these cities. Retired employees from Khuzestan's Social Security, Literacy Movement, and employees of the Municipality University also held protest gatherings outside the Khuzestan Governorate building in Ahvaz, demanding attention to their demands. The protest gathering of retirees from the Social Security organization in the city of Rasht chanted slogans such as <Retiree, stand up for your rights, shout out your voice.> These gatherings were held in protest against the authorities' failure to address the demands of these citizens.>>
Source:
https://women.ncr-iran.org/2023/05/21/retirees-hold-protest/

NCRI - Women Committee - in Women's News - May 19, 2023
<<Human Rights Lawyers Sentenced, Summoned in Iran: Concerns Over Legal Proceedings
The clerical regime's Judiciary has summoned and sentenced a number of human rights lawyers, including three women, in recent days. Marzieh Nikara, prominent human rights lawyer and activist, has been sentenced to one year of imprisonment by Branch 29 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran. The court session on Sunday, May 14, 2023, concluded with her being sentenced to one year of imprisonment on charges of <anti-regime propaganda activities> and <dissemination of falsehoods.> Another human rights lawyer, Mohammad Seifzadeh, was also sentenced to one year on similar charges.This case originated from a letter drafted by a group of human rights defenders and legal experts to the UN Secretary-General, addressing the suppression and intimidation of citizens during the nationwide protests in 2022-2023.
Human Rights Lawyers Sentenced, Summoned in Iran Additionally, Forough Sheikhol Eslami Vatani, a member of the Central Bar Association, was summoned by Branch 7 of the Security Courthouse of Evin Prison. She has to appear before the courthouse, located in Evin Prison, on May 24, 2023. Two other lawyers, Yashar Kazemi, and Shayan Zadegan, were simultaneously summoned as Forough Sheikhol Eslami Vatani. In a separate summons, Tutia Partovi Amoli, a human rights lawyer and a member of the Central Bar Association, has also been summoned to the courthouse. The exact reasons for this summons have not been revealed at this time.
Human Rights Lawyers Sentenced, Summoned in Iran
Trial Date Set for Human Rights Lawyer Farzaneh Zilabi
The trial date for lawyer Farzaneh Zilabi, who is facing multiple charges, has been set for 14th Khordad 1402 (June 4, 2023) at Branch 113 of the Criminal Court of Ahvaz. This announcement comes after a previous court session was canceled due to a procedural error and failure to notify one of Zilabi's lawyers. The charges against Zilabi relate to <spreading falsehoods> and her alleged involvement in activities supporting the 2022-2023 nationwide uprising. Zilabi had previously defended herself against charges of <insulting the leadership,> <membership in anti-regime groups,> “conspiracy and collusion to act against national security,” “propaganda activities against the regime,” and “spreading falsehoods” in a trial session held on February 14, 2023, at the Ahvaz Courthouse. She was temporarily released on bail following the session. Ms. Zillabi was deprived of the right to have a lawyer in this session, and after the session was over, she was released temporarily until the end of the proceedings. Zilabi has been known for representing cases such as the Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane Workers and recent detainees, including Mehrnoush Tafian, Mandana Sadeghi, and Ronak Razaei. These developments concerning the sentencing and summoning of human rights lawyers highlight ongoing concerns regarding freedom of speech, fair trials, and the protection of legal professionals in Iran. The intensified scrutiny and legal actions against human rights lawyers involved in cases related to the protests and protesters calls for action by human rights organizations to draw attention to the lack of independence of the Iranian legal system and judiciary.>>
Source:
https://women.ncr-iran.org/2023/05/19/human-rights-lawyers-iran/

Jinha - Womens News Agency - May 19, 2023
<<Iran warns unveiled women by hanging notices in shop windows
Sanandaj- Iranian women actively oppose the hijab despite the threats while the Iranian government has been threatening women in their workplaces and public places in recent days. The regime has hung notices in shop windows telling women that mandatory hijab rules should be observed.
They are monitored everywhere
A shopkeeper in Sanandaj told NuJINHA that secret agents visit the shops to monitor if women wear hijab. <They visit the shop to check if we wear hijab. They mostly warn my customers and me because we do not wear hijab. Most of my customers are women and they do not wear hijab. I cannot tell them to wear hijab. If I tell them to wear a hijab, this would be disrespectful because I do not wear a hijab myself.> The female shopkeeper also told us that she was threatened many times. <They have threatened me to close my shop. Despite their threats, I still oppose the hijab. Then, some officials came to my shop and hung a notice in the window reading, 'Please observe the hijab law'. I see this notice every day and I feel discomfort because of it. Whenever I see it, I feel like someone is beating me in the head with a hammer. I cannot tear it but I cannot because we are monitored everywhere.>
'Wearing colorful clothes is also banned'
B.Q. works as a salesperson for one of the shops. <A woman was warned by the secret agents because she wore colorful clothes. We are employees so we are under more pressure than shopkeepers are. The secret agents control not only our hijab but also our clothes and nails. We feel like we are robots controlled by them. We cannot wear colorful clothes. We are expected to wear only black clothes,> she said.
'We received an order not to serve unveiled women'
B.Q. also told us that their customers are often warned and sometimes threatened by officials. <We received an order from our manager not to serve unveiled women. Women are banned from entering shops without wearing hijab. However, most shopkeepers do not care about this ban and allow unveiled women to enter their shops. We do not use our social media accounts because the authorities also check our social media accounts. We know that if we are seen without wearing hijab, we will be fired.> >>
Source incl. videos:
https://jinhaagency1.com/en/actual/iran-warns-unveiled-women-by-hanging-notices-in-shop-windows-33303

NCRI - Women Committee - in Articles - May 17, 2023
<<Struan Stevenson: Iranian Women’s Quest for a Free and Democratic Iran
Issues and Insights published an article by Struan Stevenson on May 15 about the continuing struggles of Iranian women.
Struan Stevenson is the coordinator of the Campaign for Iran Change. He was a member of the European Parliament representing Scotland (1999-2014), president of the Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with Iraq (2009-14), and chairman of the Friends of a Free Iran Intergroup (2004-14). Struan Stevenson is also Chair of the ‘In Search of Justice’ committee on protecting political freedoms in Iran. He is an international lecturer on the Middle East and the European Iraqi Freedom Association president. His latest book is titled 'Dictatorship and Revolution. Iran – A Contemporary History.'
Following is the article by Mr. Struan Stevenson:
Iranian Women Fight To The End
As the nationwide uprising in Iran enters its eighth month, the bewildered mullahs, bereft of ideas on how to control their infuriated population, have reverted to their time-worn acts of vicious oppression. The inappropriate wearing of the hijab by women has become front and center the key issue of the uprising, which began with the killing in custody by the morality police, last September, of the young Kurdish girl, Mahsa Amini, for not wearing her hijab properly. For the theocratic regime, the oppression of women and their status as second-class citizens, is fundamental to their survival.
Schoolgirls who joined the demonstrations led to a sharp rebuke from the Supreme Leader, the elderly and deluded Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who told a Friday prayer meeting that the girls should be punished for their disrespectful behaviour. Hardliners have interpreted this as an open invitation to act and there have been repeated reports of toxic chemical attacks on primary and secondary schools in towns and cities throughout Iran. Thousands of girls have been hospitalized with nausea and severe breathing problems, while two young girls have died. In an attempt to appease the demonstrators, it even seemed as if the morality police had been reined in for a few weeks. Their notorious green and white vans, which regularly patrol the streets, had disappeared from view. But the new police chief - Ahmadreza Radan, appointed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in January after his predecessor was sacked, has reversed those commands, and ordered a renewed crackdown on women who violate the hijab rules.
CCTV cameras have been installed in public spaces and shopping malls to identify unveiled women. The mullahs have announced the closure of dozens of businesses that served women not wearing the hijab. Last week, the state-linked Tasnim news website reported that the sprawling Opal Shopping Center in western Tehran was facing closure because it had become a common meeting place for young women not wearing the hijab.
Struan Stevenson Escalating clampdown on opponents of the mandatory Hijab. Tasnim also said that three pharmacies in Tehran have been shut down and several restaurants owned by celebrity footballers and actors had received warnings and could face closure, for allowing unveiled women to use their facilities. Banners and billboards are now appearing across Tehran bearing images of young daughters and their mothers wearing the type of hijab that is accepted by the authorities. They carry the message: <Hijab is the legacy of mothers.> In retaliation to the defiance of Iranian women, the regime has ordered the arrest of two renowned actresses in an attempt to send shockwaves through the public ranks. Iranian state media reported that Tehran police have referred Katayoun Riahi and Pantea Bahram to the judiciary, accused of <the crime of removing their hijab in public and publishing its images in the virtual space>. The clerical regime has also turned its anger on students who participated in the uprising. Following widespread arrests during the early months of the protests, the mullahs have begun depriving students of education, suspending many male and female students from their classes in colleges and universities across the nation. In one case, reports on social media indicated that four named female students had been banned from studying for one semester on the orders of the disciplinary council of Damghan University. In another case, a young female student called Niloufar Mirzaii was arrested in the early weeks of the nationwide protests in November 2022 and held in the infamous Evin Prison in Tehran. She was released during a general amnesty in February, but immediately suspended by Al-Zahra University for two semesters (2.5 years). There are hundreds of similar cases reported on social media. Despite the killing of hundreds of protesters and mass arrests, the protests continue, coordinated by brave Resistance Units of the main democratic opposition movement, the Mojahedin-e Khalq (MEK), that have burgeoned across Iran. Although support for the MEK carries the mandatory death penalty in the Iranian constitution, last week MEK activists marched in four separate parts of Tehran and in 3 other cities, openly chanting <We are the MEK> and <Death to Khamenei, death to Raisi.> The release of tens of thousands of prisoners as part of a general amnesty for Ramadan, did not include any of the 3,600 MEK supporters who are currently being held and who face the potential death penalty. As the nationwide uprising continues, there can be no doubt about the Iranian people's long-standing discontent toward the current theocratic fascist regime that has brutalized the country for four decades, causing poverty, hardship, and tyranny. The protests have brought to the surface the deep frustration and rage that has been brewing under the surface for many years. The Iranian regime has typically responded with violence, suppression, and economic policies that have led to economic collapse. Despite these challenges, the Iranian people are demanding change and are determined as never before to continue the fight for the establishment of a free and secular republic in Iran. It is now time for the West to show their open support for the protests and to demand that the regime's criminal leaders like Khamenei and Raisi be held to account for their crimes against humanity and human rights abuse.
Source:
https://women.ncr-iran.org/2023/05/17/struan-stevenson-iranian-women/
 
 
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