Iran: Female political prisoners begin hunger strike on second anniversary of Mahsa Amini's assassination

Several female political prisoners in Iran, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi, launched a hunger strike to mark the second anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini, the 22-year-old Iranian woman who was killed by the Morality Police on Sept. 16, 2022, for not wearing a hijab (Islamic headscarf) as indicated by the strict local code, Narges Mohammadi's foundation reported Sunday.

The extreme protest measure was started by 34 women who are incarcerated in Tehran's Evin Prison, AFP noted.

"Today, on September 15, 2024, 34 female political prisoners in Evin Prison have gone on a hunger strike in commemoration of the second anniversary of the ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ movement and the killing of Mahsa (Jina) Amini," the foundation said in a statement. It added that the women will refrain from eating "in solidarity with the protesting people of Iran, against the government’s oppressive policies."

Mohammadi spoke out in a letter released by her family. "On the second anniversary of the ‘Women, Life, Freedom’ movement, we reaffirm our commitment to achieving democracy, freedom, and equality and to defeating theocratic despotism," the activist said. She added: "Today, we raise our voices louder and strengthen our resolve."

The activist also urged the United Nations "to end its silence and inaction in the face of the devastating oppression and discrimination by theocratic and authoritarian governments against women by criminalizing gender apartheid."

The activist also argued that "the liberation of women from the grip of oppression and discrimination is essential for empowering the force that drives peace and democracy."

Amini's murder sparked an unprecedented series of protests against the Iranian regime, which were violently suppressed by the Islamist authorities, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of protesters.

Narges Mohammadi's extensive and courageous struggle

Mohammadi, known for her struggle against the oppression of the Iranian regime, was jailed in November 2021. The courageous activist has spent much of the last decade in prison and has staged several hunger strikes.

Mohammadi won the Nobel Peace Prize last year, but because she is imprisoned in Iran, her children received the award on her behalf.

The Iranian regime has been accused by U.N. experts of failing to provide adequate medical care to Mohammadi. Likewise, specialists suggested that the activist was brutally beaten inside the prison, something that was not denied by the Iranian authorities, although they have held Mohammadi responsible for what happened, whom they accused of provoking authorities inside the prison.