The ongoing Mahsa Amini protests broke out following the death of Mahsa Amini while she was under arrest by the Guidance Patrol of the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Reactions to her death and the following crackdown on protestors by law enforcement are both domestic and international.
According to the BBC, as of November 2022, Western grassroots public opinion is strongly on the side of the protestors. For Western governments, the protests compete for priority with other issues such as Iranian nuclearization and Iranian arms shipments to Russia. Many international NGOs have explicitly condemned Iran's government for the violent crackdown, but the United Nations has declined to follow suit, instead limiting itself to statements of concern. [18] As of November 2022, most Gulf states (including Saudi Arabia) have remained quiet, refraining from official statement. [19]
Argentina: The Chamber of Deputies unanimously approved a resolution expressing support to Iranian women against "oppression, human rights violations and the grave repression implemented." [20] At the United Nations, Argentina voted in favour of expelling Iran from the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in a US-led initiative. [21] 
Australia: Foreign Minister Penny Wong condemned the Iranian crackdowns, stating "We continue to support the people of Iran and their right to freedom of expression and equality for women and girls." [22] 
Austria: The foreign ministry condemned the Iranian government's "disproportionate use of force" and stated that "Peaceful protests, started by courageous Iranian women, and freedom of expression must be respected at all times." Austria further supported European Union sanctions against Iranian officials responsible. [23] [24] 
Belgium: Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib, along with fellow politicians Darya Safai and Goedele Liekens, cut her own hair during a live debate in support of Iranian protestors, and stated that "women can exercise their right to protest, but the reaction of security forces is disproportionate." [25] [26] 
Bolivia: Bolivian ambassador to Iran Romina Pérez condemned the protesters as "recent riots [in Iran] perpetrated by British and American Zionists". Pérez added that "we are sure that all problems will be solved with the solidarity, knowledge and understanding of the dear leader of Iran". [27] 
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Ambassador to the United Nations Sven Alkalaj abstained from voting on the resolution which condemns the status of human rights in Iran on 16 November 2022. [28] On 6 December 2022, Foreign Minister Bisera Turković met with Iran's Foreign Minister and stated that "Iran is our partner and a friend, and the only country that unequivocally supports the territorial integrity and independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina. They supported us in the time of defence and construction of Bosnia and Herzegovina, for which we remain thankful." She added that "little is told about the rights in Afghanistan and Palestine and in the end about human rights in our country". Turković criticised stereotypes in the media and said in the end "imagine me talking to you vailed like this, what would be your perception, stereotype? Human rights include a right of clothes, that everyone should wear what they want and be equally treated". [29] 
Canada: Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly called for "a full and complete investigation into the regime's actions" in the aftermath of Amini's death. [30] On 29 October 2022, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau marched with protesters in Ottawa where Trudeau expressed his support for the protests and for Iranian women, while also announcing a round of sanctions on Iran for "gross and systematic human rights violations". [31] 
Chile: President Gabriel Boric called on the United Nations to "mobilize efforts to stop violence against women whether it be in Iran, in memory of Mahsa Amini, who died at the hands of the police this week, or anywhere in the world" in his speech on 20 September. [32] 
Finland: Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto stated on 25 September that "People in Iran, as anywhere else, have the right to peaceful protest. This right must be ensured." [32] 
France: Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna summoned the Iranian ambassador in Paris to condemn the Iranian government's actions, which include the arrests of 4 French citizens in Iran and the extraction of forced confessions under duress, [33] and announced France's support for European Union sanctions and freezing of Iranian assets. [34] President Emmanuel Macron also discussed the issue directly with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi. [32] In November 2022, Macron repeatedly referred to the protests as a "revolution". [35] 
Germany: Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said in an interview to Bild am Sonntag on 9 October that "Those who beat up (Iranian) women and girls on the street, who abduct, arbitrarily imprison and condemn to death people who want nothing other than to live free – they stand on the wrong side of history." [36] Baerbock also said that Germany would support the European Union freezing assets of Iranian officials responsible for law enforcement crackdowns. [37] 
Greece: The foreign ministry issued a statement that "We fully align ourselves with the declaration by High Representative/Vice President Josep Borrell on the latest developments in Iran." [32] 
Holy See: Pope Francis condemned Iran for its use of the death penalty against protesters, saying that "The death penalty cannot be employed for a purported state justice, since it does not constitute a deterrent nor render justice to victims, but only fuels the thirst for vengeance" and called for a worldwide abolishment of capital punishment. [38] 
Israel: Prime Minister Yair Lapid said in his speech to United Nations General Assembly on 22 September that "Young Iranians are suffering and struggling from the shackles of Iran's regime, and the world is silent. They cry for help on social media. They pay for their desire to live a life of freedom — with their lives. Iran's regime hates Jews, hates women, hates gay people, hates the West. They hate and kill Muslims who think differently, like Salman Rushdie and Mahsa Amini." [32] 
Netherlands: Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra met with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on 23 September and stated that "Women's rights are human rights and should be respected, as well as the right to peaceful protest." [39] On 6 October, Justice Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius cut her hair during an interview with Op1 to support the Iranian protests. [40] 
New Zealand: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern stated on 3 October that she was "deeply concerned to see the loss of life and, of course, just generally what we would consider to be human rights issues as they relate to women and girls." The foreign ministry also summoned Iranian ambassador Mohammad Reza Mofatteh to discuss the issue. [41] [42] 
Norway: Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt condemned Iranian law enforcement crackdowns on protestors, but rejected applying unilateral sanctions on Iran. [43] 
Portugal: The foreign ministry stated that "Portugal follows with concern the repression of protests in Iran and mourns all civilian casualties. The right to public protest implies restraint by the authorities. Full, swift accountability of those repressing protests and those responsible for #MahsaAmini's death is vital." [32] 
Saudi Arabia: An intelligence report shared with the United States said "Iran is trying to distract attention from the ongoing protests by poising to carry out attacks on both Saudi Arabia and Iraq". [44] [45] 
Spain: The foreign ministry summoned the Iranian ambassador in Madrid to express "absolute condemnation" for Iran's excessive crackdowns. [46] Second deputy prime minister Yolanda Díaz and Minister of Equality Irene Montero condemned the actions of Iran's government, and called on the UN to investigate Mahsa Amini's death. [47] 
Sweden: Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson on 24 September urged "the Iranian government to refrain from violence against these protesters. Freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly must be ensured." The next day, Foreign Minister Ann Linde also stated that "Sweden stands firmly behind the women and people of Iran that are peacefully taking to the streets in solidarity with Mahsa Amini." [32] 
Switzerland: The foreign ministry condemned the Iranian government's crackdowns and stated that Switzerland was "dismayed by the high number of victims in relation to the protests in Iran." [48] Flavia Wasserfallen from the Social Democratic Party (SP) cut her hair in support of the demands of the Iranian women. [49] 
Turkey: Presidential Spokesperson İbrahim Kalın said he was saddened by Amini's death and that Iran needs to find a balanced way to respect people's free will and maintain public order. [50] Demonstrations occurred in several Turkish cities, including a protest by a group of Iranians in front of the Iranian Consulate in Istanbul. [51] [52] The two Kurdish imprisoned politicians Selahattin Demirtas and Adnan Mizrakli from the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) both cut their hair in support of the protests. [53] 
United Kingdom: Foreign Office Minister Tariq Ahmad on 21 September stated "The death of Mahsa Amini in Iran following her arrest for alleged dress code violations is shocking. We are extremely concerned at reports of serious mistreatment of Ms Amini, and many others, by the security forces." [32] [54] 
United States: During his floor speech to the United Nations General Assembly, President Joe Biden offered solidarity to the protesters, imploring them to "secure their basic rights". [55] Secretary of State Antony Blinken tweeted: "We call on the Iranian government to end its systematic persecution of women and allow peaceful protest". U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan tweeted that "[Amini's] death is unforgiveable. We will continue to hold Iranian officials accountable for such human rights abuses". [56] 
European Union: The European External Action Service (EEAS) condemned Amini's death in a statement and called for the Iranian government to "ensure that fundamental rights of its citizens are respected". [57] On 4 October, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the EU was considering sanctions against Iran. By 7 October, Denmark, France, Germany, and Italy had called for EU sanctions against Iran. [58] 
United Nations: UN Secretary-General António Guterres, on 27 September, issued a statement calling on Iranian security forces to "refrain from using unnecessary or disproportionate force". [59] [60] Nada al-Nashif, the acting UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, expressed concern over Amini's death and Iranian authorities' response to the resulting protests. [61] Ravina Shamdasani, the spokesperson for the UN High Commission for Human Rights, urged Iran's clerical leadership several days later to "fully respect the rights to freedom of opinion, expression, peaceful assembly, and association". Shamdasani added that reports specify that "hundreds have also been arrested, including human rights defenders, lawyers, civil society activists, and at least 18 journalists", and "Thousands have joined anti-government demonstrations throughout the country over the past 11 days. Security forces have responded at times with live ammunition". [62] The 2018 Iranian university protests were a series of protests, a spillover clash of the 2017–2018 Iranian protests, occurring as part of the wider Iranian Democracy Movement, by Iranian university students in support of labour, and teacher strikes, as well as protesting against the current situation of the country. The protests started on 4 December 2018, ahead of university day on 7 December, which is usually marked by protests.
The 2021 Sistan and Baluchestan protests were a series of protests in the Sistan and Baluchestan province of Iran. The protests started on 23 February 2021 after multiple Baloch fuel traders were killed at the Iran–Pakistan border.
On 16 September 2022, 22-year-old Iranian woman Mahsa Amini, also known as Jina Amini, died in a hospital in Tehran, Iran, under suspicious circumstances. The Guidance Patrol, the religious morality police of Iran's government, arrested Amini for allegedly not wearing the hijab in accordance with government standards. The Law Enforcement Command of the Islamic Republic of Iran stated that she had a heart attack at a police station, collapsed, and fell into a coma before being transferred to a hospital. However, eyewitnesses, including women who were detained with Amini, reported that she was severely beaten and that she died as a result of police brutality, which was denied by the Iranian authorities. The assertions of police brutality, in addition to leaked medical scans, led some observers to believe Amini had a cerebral hemorrhage or stroke due to head injuries received after her arrest.
Farjad Darvishi, a 23-year old Iranian man, was killed on 19 September 2022 by police in the Waliasr town of Urmia, Iran.
Woman, Life, Freedom is a slogan that originated within the women-led Kurdish movements. This slogan notably transcended its initial context and garnered global recognition following the 2022 protests in Iran, sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, who was in custody of Iran’s morality police for “improper” clothing. The phrase rapidly became a universal rallying cry, symbolizing resistance against oppression and the fight for women's rights.
The Zahedan massacre, also known as Bloody Friday (Balochi: زائدانءِ ھۏنݔن آدݔنَگ), was a series of violent crackdowns starting with protesters gathering and chanting in front of a police station near the Great Mosalla of Zahedan, Iran on 30 September 2022 leading to many casualties.
Niloofar Hamedi is an Iranian journalist who works for the reformist daily newspaper Shargh. She was arrested during the Mahsa Amini protests for breaking the news about Mahsa Amini and reporting on her treatment by Iran's Morality Police. Hamedi is also known for her work as one of the first journalists to have interviewed the family and lawyer for imprisoned writer Sepideh Rashnu, and she published an investigative report on her case. Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2023.
This list reports the notable citizens, civil and political activists, students, journalists, lawyers and athletes who have been arrested in Iran during the ongoing protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini in September 2022. There is no clear information about the whereabouts and the situation of many of them.
Mona Borzouee is an Iranian poet and songwriter. Borzouee is known for writing Persian song lyrics for several well-known Iranian musicians. She was arrested in October 2022 during the Iranian protests following the death of Mahsa Amini.
Minoo Majidi was a 62-year-old Iranian woman who was killed by Iranian authorities during the September 2022 Iranian protests.
"Soroode Zan" is a song by Iranian singer and composer Mehdi Yarrahi. Composed by Yarrahi and written by Mona Borzouei, it is a protest song with musical composition of anthem style, released eighteen days after the Death of Mahsa Amini —which sparked a massive global protests all around the world— inspired by her death and its aftermath. Beginning with the "Woman, Life, Freedom" slogan, in the lyrics, the narrators are calling everyone to join them in the Mahsa Amini protests.
Kian Pirfalak was a nine-year-old Iranian boy who was killed in Izeh during the crackdown on the Mahsa Amini protests. He was shot by government security forces while sitting in his parents' vehicle during the attack on Izeh market. His father, Meysam Pirfalak, was critically injured in the assault and was hospitalized.
Gisuborān meaning haircutting (Persian:گیسوبران) is one of the mourning rituals in Iranian culture. This ritual gives a sad and emotional state to mourning. In 2022 women in Iran and later internationally used haircutting as a protest against the treatment of women in Iran. The BBC included an unknown woman cutting her hair as one of their 100 Women in 2022.
Death sentences during the Mahsa Amini protests is a list of Iranian citizens sentenced to death or charged with crimes punishable by death in the Islamic Republic of Iran during the Mahsa Amini protests. Following rushed trials that were widely criticized by human rights organizations, the Islamic Republic has executed seven protestors, Mohsen Shekari, Majidreza Rahnavard, Mohammad Mehdi Karami, Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini, Saleh Mirhashemi, Majid Kazemi, and Saeed Yaghoobi. Dozens of protesters have been charged with offenses that are punishable by death in Iran.
Aida Rostami was a 36-year-old Iranian physician who was allegedly kidnapped, fatally beaten, and killed by security forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran for treating protesters who were injured during the Mahsa Amini protests. In light of rising demands and threats on Iranian hospitals and medics to assist security forces in the middle of the protests, Aida Rostami has emerged as an inspirational figure among medics associated with the Mahsa Amini protests.
Yalda Moaiery is an Iranian photojournalist, she is known for war, protest, natural disaster, and conflict photographs. In 2019, she gained international notoriety after Donald Trump had used one of her photos on social media to support an attack on Iran, which she publicly spoke out on. During the Mahsa Amini protests in 2022, she was one of around twenty journalists arrested in Iran. She is a member of the Iranian Photojournalists Association (IPJA).
Hamid Ghareh-Hassanlou was arrested in nationwide protests in Iran after the death of Mahsa Amini. He is a Gonabadi dervish and a medical doctor who specializes in medical imaging. He was charged with killing a Basiji member during the funerals of Hadis Najafi by the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Karaj. His wife, Farzaneh Ghareh-Hassanlou was arrested the same day. They were reportedly beaten during the arrest, and Hamid's ribs were later reported broken.
Bahman Reyhani is an Iranian commander. On June 20, 2014, he was appointed as the commander of the Kermanshah Nebi Akram Corps, a Kurdish force in the IRGC located in Kermanshah province, based on the order of Mohammad Ali Jafari, the commander of the IRGC at the time, in a ceremony attended by Hossein Salami, the deputy commander of the IRGC at the time. Reyhani has played a decisive role in helping the victims of the 2018 Sarpol-e Zahab earthquake. Bahman Reyhani was included in the sanctions list of the European Union on December 21, 2022, due to gross violations of human rights in Iran.
The Women, Life, Freedom movement in Iran is a protest movement that started in September 2022 after the death of Mahsa (Jina) Amini, a young Kurdish woman who was arrested by the morality police for not wearing hijab correctly. The movement demands the end of compulsory hijab laws and other forms of discrimination and oppression against women in Iran. The movement has been met with brutal repression by the Iranian authorities, who have killed hundreds of protesters and arrested thousands more. The movement has also gained international support and recognition, and has been awarded the 2023 Freedom Award by Freedom House.
Saeideh Shafiei is an Iranian story writer and journalist. She contributes to economic topics in journalism, and her novel 'The Spiral Girl' has been published. Recognized as a laureate of the International Festival of Press and News Agencies, Shafiei was arrested at the same time as the Mahsa Amini protests, which are known as the 'Women, Life, Freedom' movement and occurred following the death of Mahsa Amini.
