Women’s Rights Defenders In Iran Arrested Ahead of One Year Anniversary of Protests

24-08-2023
Jessica Schwarz
Women’s Rights Researcher,
Global Human Rights Defence.

Over the past weeks, Iranian authorities have raided and detained at least a dozen
activists and increased pressure on various peaceful dissidents ahead of the one year
anniversary of the nationwide ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ protests that swept the country in
2022. The mass protests and movement began with the 16 September 2022 death of 22-year-
old Mahsa (Jina) Amini who died in custody of the abusive morality police after she arrested
was for allegedly not covering her hair and complying with the mandatory hijab rule. The
government claimed Amini died of a heart attack, but it is widely believed that she died due
to the police beatings. In the ensuing government crackdown against protesters, hundreds
were killed while around 20,000 Iranians were arrested, according to the United Nations
(New York Times).
As the anniversary of the Amini death is approaching, the Iranian government is
attempting to suppress memorial events by families who lost loved ones during the protests
and detaining political activists and women’s rights defenders, having already arrested 12
people as of 16 August 2023, according to Bidarzani, an independent women’s rights group
(Human Rights Watch). The actions of the Iranian authorities reveal Iran’s fear of more
protests as the widespread unrest in 2022 was a significant challenge to the Islamic
Republic’s authority. Although the 2021 elections solidified the control of conservative
hardliners and lead to the enforcement of repressive laws against women, such as those
regarding the hijab, there have been growing sentiments regarding women’s rights. This is
especially noticeable as a woman’s access to employment, education, social benefits and
proper health care all depend on complying with the compulsory hijab laws. Despite the
public’s shifting views on the hijab, conservatives maintain that observance of the hijab is tied closely to the preservation of traditional social structures and family values, regardless of
women’s choice in the matter.

Sources and further readings:
Human Rights Watch (2023, 19 August) Iran: Mass Arrests of Women’s Rights Defenders.
Human Rights Watch. Retrieved on 24 August 2023 from:
https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/08/19/iran-mass-arrests-womens-rights-defenders 

Nikounazar, L. and Boxerman, A. (2023, 17 August) Women’s Rights Activists Rounded Up
in Iran as Protest Anniversary Nears. The New York Times. Retrieved on 24 August
2023 from: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/17/world/europe/iran-women-activists-detained.html