On the third anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death, cries for freedom continue unabated

On the third anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini, Prince Reza Pahlavi once again emphasized the continuation of the Iranian people's struggle and cries for freedom.

Mahsa (Zina) Amini died on September 15, 1402, just days after being arrested by the Ershad patrol in Tehran, and was buried the next day in the Aichi cemetery in Saqqez. Her death, which her family and many human rights organizations said was the result of beatings in detention, sparked a wave of protests that quickly spread across Iran and then the world.

Three years after that incident, Mahsa's name and memory still live on in the hearts of Iranian society and in the world's memory. In this regard, Prince Reza Pahlavi, in a message on the anniversary of this event, remembered her and other martyrs of Iran's freedom, saying: "Three years ago on this day, Mahsa Amini was innocently murdered, but her voice was not silenced; rather, her name and image became global and inspired the struggle of millions of Iranians against the corrupt regime of the Islamic Republic.

In his message, Prince Pahlavi considered the 1401 uprising a continuation of the protests of January 2017 and November 2019, noting: "All three uprisings came together with a common goal and created the raging river of the Iranian national revolution; a revolution that continues until the day of Iran's victory and freedom."

He also addressed the younger generation of Iran, saying, "You are the generation of victory. You will build a free future with your own hands and make the dream of Mahsa and all those who lost their lives on the path to Iran's freedom a reality." The prince once again emphasized his solidarity with the Iranian nation and promised to remain with the people on the path to freedom.

The message from Prince Pahlavi came at a time when the Islamic Republic has been suppressing any dissenting voice for more than four decades, from street killings of protesters to mass arrests, torture in prisons, and issuing death sentences. The government has left no room for civil protest or political dissent.

In practice, this system has denied people fundamental freedoms: women are still forced to wear the hijab, freedom of religion and belief is not recognized, freedom of expression is suppressed, and the slightest dissent is labeled as “acting against national security.” For this reason, the protests of the Iranian people in recent years have not simply been a demand for reforms, but a demand for the complete end of this oppressive structure.

On the anniversary of Mahsa's death, Iranians around the world once again commemorated her memory. On September 13 and 14, rallies were held in various cities in Europe, the United States, Canada, and Australia, with the slogan "Women, Life, Freedom," demonstrating that the movement that emerged from Mahsa's death is still alive and kicking.

Mahsa Amini has become a global icon; a symbol that not only reminds us of the suffering of Iranian women and men against religious dictatorship, but also inspires the struggle for human dignity and freedom around the world.