Mahsa Amini

Their life

Mahsa Amini (also known as Jina Amini) was a 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian woman who died on 16 September 2022 under suspicious circumstances after being arrested by Iran’s morality police for allegedly violating the hijab law. While Iranian authorities claimed she died of a heart attack, eyewitnesses and medical reports indicated that she suffered severe head injuries due to police brutality. Her death sparked widespread protests in Iran, calling for the end of compulsory hijab laws and broader human rights reforms, becoming a symbol for the Woman, Life, Freedom movement.

Mahsa Amini, born on 21 September 1999 in Saqqez, Kurdistan Province, Iran, was a young Kurdish woman whose tragic death ignited global protests. Amini, a student with aspirations to become a doctor, was visiting Tehran with her family when she was arrested by Iran's morality police on 13 September 2022 for allegedly not adhering to the strict hijab laws. The authorities claimed she suffered a heart attack after being detained, but medical scans and eyewitness accounts indicated that she had been severely beaten, leading to a fatal head injury.

Amini was placed in a coma and died three days later in the hospital on 16 September 2022. The Iranian government's claims about her health and cause of death were met with widespread skepticism, and protests erupted across Iran, particularly led by women, demanding an end to mandatory hijab laws and challenging broader gender oppression in the country. Her death became a rallying cry for the "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement, which sparked a wave of anti-government protests.

Amini's family denied the Iranian government's claims about her pre-existing health conditions and insisted that she had no history of medical issues. Her father, Amjad Amini, became a vocal critic of the government's narrative, further fueling the outrage surrounding her death. Mahsa Amini's tragic end has since been viewed as a symbol of the ongoing struggle for women's rights and freedoms in Iran, continuing to inspire protests and calls for reform worldwide.

How they died

heart attack and brain seizure after her arrest

Mahsa Amini's death was caused by severe head injuries after her arrest by Iran's morality police for allegedly violating the hijab law. While the government claimed she died from a heart attack, medical evidence and eyewitness reports indicated she suffered trauma, leading to widespread protests and suspicions of police brutality.

Why we remember them

This record exists so that Mahsa Amini, and all who are named in this archive, are never reduced to a number.

References & sources