Mahsa Amini Dies in Morality Police Custody, Igniting Mass Protests Across Iran

The death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after her arrest by Iran's morality police triggers the most widespread anti-government protests since the 1979 revolution, with "Woman, Life, Freedom" becoming a global rallying cry.

On September 16, 2022, Mahsa (Jina) Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman, died in a Tehran hospital three days after being arrested by the morality police for allegedly wearing her hijab improperly. Authorities claimed she died of a heart attack; her family and witnesses said she was beaten. Her death ignited a nationwide uprising unlike anything since 1979. The protests spread to hundreds of cities and were led notably by women and young Iranians, with the slogan "Zan, Zendegi, Azadi" (Woman, Life, Freedom). The regime's violent crackdown killed hundreds of protesters and arrested thousands. The US and European governments imposed new human rights sanctions. The protests shook the foundations of the Islamic Republic, though the regime ultimately suppressed them.