Seven female protesters and activists imprisoned in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison have announced that they have been holding a sit-in in the prison yard since 14 September in memory of Jina Amini and in support of the anniversary of the Jin Jiyan Azadî (Woman Life Freedom) uprising.
The seven prisoners – Azadeh Abedini, Sepideh Qalian, Shakila Monfared, Golrokh Iraei, Narges Mohammadi, Mahbobeh Rezaei and Vida Rabbani – explained the reasons for their protest in a message posted on the social media account of human rights defender Narges Mohammadi on the anniversary of the protests that erupted after the death of the 22-year-old Amini in the custody of the morality police on 16 September last year.
In their statement, the women prisoners said: “It has been one year since Jîna Amînî was killed by agents of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The deep grief and anger we feel at the loss of our fellow citizens in the streets and prisons, the brutal suppression of protests, the arbitrary arrests, torture and imprisonment of those who dare to speak out, weigh heavily on our hearts. Despite these challenges, we remain steadfast in our determination to continue our struggle until we achieve victory.”
The seven prisoners added, “As female political prisoners held in Evin Prison, we stand in solidarity with the Iranian people as they strive for freedom and equality. We condemn the violent and repressive policies of the authoritarian religious authorities. We support both the Kurdish and Iranian people in their quest for justice and human rights.” They called on the international democratic community and people everywhere to amplify the voices of the Iranian people and the protesters.
