FairPlanet.Support
| topic: | Women's rights |
|---|---|
| tags: | #Iran, #women's rights, #democracy, #freedom of speech, #petition, #Masha Amini |
| located: | Iran |
| by: | Quinta Thomson |
On 13 September, 22 year-old Mahsa Amini was arrested in Tehran by the morality police due to her headscarf not 'sufficiently covering her hair according to the standards of the Islamic government.'
Although both her and her brother were told she would only be receiving a 'brief guiding session' in a detention centre, Amini was later found in a coma in Kasra hospital after suffering a 'heart attack,' according to the police.
The reports of beating and injuries sustained by Amini at the police station have sparked mass protest throughout Iran.
While primarily centred around women's rights, the protests have expanded to encompass calls for an end to the strict authoritarianism of the Ayatollahs' regime.
The torture and murder of Mahsa Amini represents one of numerous human rights violations committed by the Iranian government over the past four decades, ranging from the frequent and deadly mistreatment of prisoners to discrimination and persecution of ethnic and religious minorities, LGBTQI+ people and dissidents.
The people of Iran are now taking a bold stand against the regime’s crimes against humanity, and it is incumbent on the international community to do more than just watch as the events unfold.
The Iranian military is currently violating international human rights laws using ambulances to transport anti-riot police into the protests, move detained protestors and set up observation posts for soldiers.
The use of medical transport bearing medical insignia for military purposes firmly transgresses international law and is even considered a war crime under the Additional Protocols of 1977 to the Geneva Conventions.
To help raise awareness of the Iranian riot police's actions and increase international pressure on the regime, sign this petition.
To support the movement more broadly, you can sign this petition which calls on the international community of free Democratic countries, the UN and human rights organisations to hold the Islamic Republic accountable for "these occurrences of systematic torture, abuse, murders and brutal suppression of peaceful protestors."
Women are at the forefront of these protests, empowering themselves through the chant, "Woman, life, freedom." Yet women remain the most vulnerable to the government's crackdown at this time, and we must stand with them.
The Center for Human Rights in Iran documents and discloses human rights violations in the country, including the violent repression of current protests. Its work is vital to the protection of demonstrators and exposing the actions of the Iranian authorities. You help uplift the Iranian people by spreading the word about the Center’s efforts or donating to support their work.
Image by Craig Melville.
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