Killing of Mahsa Amini in Iran

 

Photo source: Centre of Human Rights in Iran

By Naveede Qazi | Editor, Globe Upfront

Although the death of Mahsa Amini in September 2022 garnered headlines around the globe, the world would not have known her name had it not been for her killing at the hands of Iran’s morality police. Her death became the catalyst for the protest movement aptly named Woman, Life, Freedom, exposing the misogynist nature of the regime and its disregard for human life. The ensuing crackdown revealed the brutality of the state: thousands detained, hundreds killed, and countless others silenced.

Even Amini’s family was not allowed to mourn her openly. Reports noted that her relatives faced intimidation and surveillance, and more recently, they were banned from travelling to Brussels to accept a prize on her behalf. This illustrates how the regime extends its repression beyond activists to grieving families, denying them dignity and freedom.

The world has sought to express solidarity with the Iranian people’s longing for freedom. Protesters themselves have urged outsiders to “be their voice.” Yet claiming Amini’s legacy comes with responsibility. In many ways, she has become more powerful after her passing than most individuals ever are in their lifetime, both in Iran and beyond. Her image and story have become symbols of resistance, but they also demand sustained action.

As a reaction, the European Union has passed several sanctions packages against perpetrators of human rights violations in Iran. These measures include asset freezes and travel bans against more than two hundred individuals and nearly forty entities. While these sanctions signal disapproval, they are not enough. The consequences of awarding the Sakharov Prize to the Woman, Life, Freedom movement go far beyond relations with the Islamic Republic. They demand that the EU place human and women’s rights at the core of its foreign policy.

Three issues stand out if the EU is serious about this commitment: emergency funding for immediate priorities, internet freedom to keep activists connected to the world, and addressing the issue of visas and relocation for women and human rights defenders. These recommendations have been repeatedly made by professional human rights activists to European policymakers.

Firstly, the EU should urgently expand emergency funding to Iranian civil society. Tehran remains bent on repression, paving the way towards a collapse of independent media, the legal profession, and civil society organisations. Regime forces continue to crack down on activists through house raids, confiscating private devices, forced disappearances, arbitrary arrests—particularly in Kurdistan and Baluchistan—increased prison sentences, and outright killings. The new Hijab and Chastity Bill introduces draconian fines, closures of businesses, and professional bans, effectively negating women’s civil and political rights. This repression, combined with economic precarity, has exhausted the resources of small and medium-sized organisations doing human rights work. Beyond immediate funding, the EU must consider how to sustain support when global attention inevitably fades.

Secondly, access to the internet is vital. The regime has developed a “national information network” to isolate citizens from the global web, cutting access points and infringing on individual rights. Authorities have repeatedly shut down mobile networks during protests to prevent coordination. For activists, internet access is the light in an otherwise dark room. Authoritarian states such as Russia and China are watching closely how Iran expands digital repression. The EU should therefore increase digital security programming, expand safe online spaces for Iranians, and incorporate these measures into a global strategy against digital authoritarianism.

Thirdly, the EU must support women and human rights defenders forced to flee. Many are stranded in neighbouring countries under precarious conditions. Structural barriers—long waiting times, restrictions on visa applications, and exclusionary asylum criteria—prevent safe passage. At a moment when the EU is rolling back its own asylum standards, awarding a prize to activists without ensuring protection risks hypocrisy. Solidarity must be matched with concrete action.

The repression extends to journalists. Those who reported on Amini’s death were punished severely. Niloufar Hamedi, a reporter for Shargh Daily, was arrested after posting a photo of Amini’s grieving family. Elahe Mohammadi of Ham-Mihan was detained after covering her funeral. Both were sentenced to long prison terms in 2023, accused of propaganda and collaboration with the US. Their reporting was pivotal in drawing international attention. They were eventually pardoned in February 2025 after more than a year in detention, but the episode underscores how Iran’s judiciary functions as a tool of repression, silencing those who publish basic facts.

The broader picture is bleak. Civil society is under siege, women’s rights are curtailed, and dissent is criminalised. Yet the protests sparked by Amini’s death revealed the courage of ordinary Iranians, especially women, who risked everything to demand dignity. The EU’s response must go beyond symbolic gestures. Emergency funding, internet freedom, and safe relocation are concrete steps that can make a difference.

Ultimately, the legacy of Mahsa Amini is not only about her tragic death but about the movement she inspired. The Woman, Life, Freedom protests have shown that even in the darkest circumstances, voices of resistance can emerge. The responsibility now lies with international actors to ensure those voices are not silenced. The press has played a crucial role in documenting abuses, exposing new repressive laws, reporting on family intimidation, and covering the plight of journalists. These accounts remind us that solidarity must be active, not rhetorical.