Iranian security forces have detained nine prominent women's rights activists in various cities in the northern province of Gilan as authorities continue a crackdown ahead of the first anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini while in police custody for allegedly violating the country's head scarf law.
Among those arrested on August 16 were Matin Yazdani, Forough Sami'nia, Yasmin Hashdari, Jelve Javaheri, Zahra Dadras, Negin Rezaei, Shiva ShahSiah, and Vahehdeh KhoshSirat, activists reported on social media.
The exact reasons for the arrests and the whereabouts of the detainees have not been disclosed and officials have not commented publicly on the matter.
Speaking to RFERL’s Radio Farda, women's rights advocate Mansureh Shojaee said the detentions appear to be part of a broader strategy by the Islamic leadership to manage the first anniversary of Amini's death on September 16. She emphasized that many of those detained, including Javaheri, Sami'nia, and Yazdani, have been champions of the women's rights movement for more than two decades.
At least 500 people have been killed since protests broke out following the death of Amini, an Iranian Kurdish woman who was arrested while visiting Tehran for allegedly violating the country’s hijab law.
The protests began as a rebuke against the brutal enforcement of the mandatory head scarf legislation, but soon snowballed into one of the most sustained demonstrations against Iran’s theocracy since the 1979 Islamic revolution.
Officials have blamed the West for inciting the protests and vowed to crack down even harder on the demonstrations.
Several thousand people have been arrested, including many protesters, as well as journalists, lawyers, activists, digital rights defenders, and others.
Iran Detains Prominent Women's Rights Activists As Anniversary Of Amini's Death Nears
The detainees include Jelveh Javaheri who has been a women's rights campaigner for decades. (file photo)