Escalating Iranian police and government brutality sparks international response

Iran has met with the outrage of citizens infuriated with the government’s cruelty. Iranian law enforcement has killed at least 326 people and charged 1,000 people for protesting against the government, only adding more fuel to the fire. Kurdish Iranian Jina Mahsa Amini, who died in police custody, sparked these protests. 

On Sep. 16, the Iranian morality police arrested Amini for wearing her hijab too loosely, breaking Iran’s strict clothing policies for women. The police say she died of a cardiac arrest; however, her family and many Iranians disagree. They say she was healthy before being detained and believe the Iranian police killed her, which the government is trying to conceal. Furthermore, Amini was beaten and tortured on the way to a detention center, adding more suspicion to her cause of death.

“I think what is happening in Iran is messed up,”  Thomas S. Wootton freshman Shahaana Syed said. “[The government] does not know how to handle it and is collapsing.”

Additionally, there have been other forms of mistreatment, such as unsanitary and inhumane prison conditions and sexual harassment of prisoners. Furthermore, there is a significant gender equality gap, constricted freedom of expression, and discrimination against women, LGBTQ+ people, and religious and ethnic minorities. “The government has restricted everything, such as laws like the banning of holding hands,” Thomas S. Wootton sophomore Kian Hamidzadeh said, whose family is from Iran. 

Enraged by Amini’s death and fed up with the government, many protested against the Iranian government. “From the people I know, everyone is glad this is occurring,” Hamidzadeh said. “My family and friends have gone out to multiple protests [in Iran],” Women have gone to the streets cutting their hair, taking off their hijabs, burning them, and chanting, “Women, Life, Freedom,” Hamidzadeh said he feels hopeful for change. “I feel something beneficial will come out of this.” However, countless protesters have lost their lives at the hands of law enforcement, including 16-year-old Nika Shahkarami, though currently, the Iranian police allege her death was unrelated to the protests. 

The Iranian government responded by beating and firing tear gas and pellet shots at protesters. They have also cut off access to the Internet in some areas of the country. Moreover, the Iranian government restricted messaging and social media apps, including Whatsapp and Instagram, to prevent further protests. 

Hamidzadeh said that he feels saddened by the protests. “Iran is in a fragile condition. A civil war would ruin the nation to dirt like Syria and Yemen,” and both pro-democratic protests caused the Syrian and the Yemeni Civil Wars. Like the Iranian government, the Syrian and Yemeni governments responded by killing anyone slightly connected to the protests. The civil wars devastated both countries, killing 100,000 Yemenis and 470,000 Syrians. In addition, currently, 3 million Syrians and over 24 million Yemenis need humanitarian assistance.

“I think the U.S. needs to give a helping hand [to Iranians],” Syed said. So far, the US has enforced sanctions against Iranian law enforcement and those involved in restricting the protests in Iran. 

Though the Iranian government has been restrictive, they could not stop the international outcries. The Iranian soccer team refused to sing the Iranian national anthem at the World Cup in Qatar. Elnaz Rekabi is an Iranian rock climber and the first Iranian woman to compete full-time in the 2016 International Federation of Sport Climbing World Cup. She competed in the Asian Championships in Seoul without a headscarf. Taraneh Alidoosti, a well-known Iranian actress, and Asghar Farhadi, a famous Iranian director, both went to social media to show their support for the protests.

Yet, these celebrities face backlash for their outspoken support. The Iranian soccer team and other outspoken Iranian athletes competing internationally could face danger once they return to Iran. Rakebi will most likely be transferred to prison soon. Two famous Iranian actresses, Hengameh Ghaziani and Katayoun Riahi, were arrested for removing their headscarves and protesting. The government has detained at least 19 acclaimed Iranian artists, claiming they were involved in the protests. 

If you would like to offer aid to those in Iran, consider donating to the Iranian American Women Foundation and United for Iran. You can also bring awareness, post on social media, and join Iranian-American-led protests and rallies in the US. 

Article written by Anushka Gulla of Thomas S. Wootton High School

Photo courtesy of Middle East Monitor