- On September 13, 2022, Mahsa Amini, an Iranian of Kurdish origin, was arrested in Tehran by the moral police, responsible for ensuring compliance with dress codes. She died three days later, probably as a result of blows received to the head while in police custody.
- In the days following his death, a wave of protest, unprecedented in its scope and duration, overwhelmed the country.. Iranian women determined to remove their headscarves are at the heart of this movement whose slogan becomes “Woman, life, freedom”.
- Several tens of thousands of protesters have been arrested since. At least seven young men were hanged for taking part in the movement.
- On April 4, the Supreme Guide, Ali Khamenei, denounced “the unveiling of women” like an act “haram”, contrary to the precepts of Islam, and promised that this question “would certainly be resolved”. Then he ordered all levels of Iranian power, notably the police and the judiciary, but also his supporters, to intervene without delay.
- Across the country, owners of cars with bareheaded women are ordered to report to a moral security police station. The car is then sent to the impound lot. The women thus arrested are forced to sign a letter in which they undertake to no longer travel without a headscarf. If they repeat the offense, they face a prison sentence.
- The presence of unveiled women has also led to the closure of many businesses., restaurants, cafes, hotels, cinemas, and even parks. In the world of cinema, actresses who dared to appear in public without a headscarf were banned from appearing in film productions.
- In recent weeks, numerous suspicious deaths of Iranian opponents have been reported. The most emblematic is that of the famous director Kioumars Pourahmad.
- Today, there are no more demonstrations, but Iranian women continue to defy power by going out without veils. However, the repression intensified as the anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death approached. Morality police officers are back on the streets, harassing those who dare to walk bareheaded in public.
- Our journalists Ghazal Golshiri and Madjid Zerrouky, specialists on Iran, will answer your questions from 11 a.m.
To go deeper
Editorial. Iran, an Islamic Republic in ruins
Facts. In Iran, police strengthen control of unveiled women in public places
Decryption. A leaden screed as the anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini approaches
Podcast. “Far from Iran, close to our sisters”: a podcast that gives voice to a people eager for freedom
Large format. In Iran, five months of revolt filmed by the people
Tribune. Five Iranian women write from prison: “ We are guilty of the desire to live”
Video. Revolt in Iran: seven minutes to understand the root causes of the anger