Item Summary

2 - Roya Piraee lived in Kermanshah, in western Iran, when her mother, Minoo Majidi, was killed during the September 2022 Iranian protests. Her mother was shot at close range by security forces on motorbikes while she was chanting slogans with other protesters. A viral picture of Roya shows her standing by her mother's grave, holding her cut hair as a symbol of protest and defiance against the Iranian regime.

4 - Hananeh Kia, aged 23, was shot dead by security agents in Nowshahr, northern Iran, on September 21. Her death occurred amidst the protests that followed the police's killing of Mahsa Jina Amini.

6 - Hadis Najafi, a 23-year-old Iranian, was shot dead by at least 20 bullets fired by Iranian security forces in Mehrshahr, Karaj, on September 21, 2022. This came after the police killing of Mahsa Jina Amini. Najafi's body was released to her family on September 23. The family spoke of government pressure to declare a heart attack as the cause of death. On November 3, forty days after her passing, mourners aimed to attend the Chehelom gathering (held on the 40th day after death) at Beheshte Sakineh cemetery, but witnesses reported government forces blocking access.

8 - Mahsa Jina Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman from the northwestern city of Saqqez, hailed from Kurdistan, Iran. She was arrested by the Morality Police on the accusation of not wearing the “proper” hijab, She ultimately lost her life due to torture while in police custody. Amini's death sparked the Woman, Life, Freedom movement, originating in Saqqez and Kurdistan before spreading across Iran and beyond. The movement's rallying cry, "Jin, Jiyan, Azadî," meaning "Woman, Life, Freedom" in Kurdish (and was also translated as “Zan, Zendegi, Azadi” into Persian), has become a symbol in the fight for justice and liberation.

10 - Nika Shakarami was a 16-year-old Iranian girl who disappeared in Tehran on September 20, 2022 during a protest that ensued after the police killing of Mahsa Jina Amini. She was last seen burning her headscarf as she stood on a dumpster. Shortly after, she was pursued by security forces. Her body was discovered ten days later in a morgue, bearing signs of violence and torture.

12 - Sarina Esmailzadeh was a 16-year-old Iranian girl from Karaj, Alborz province, who died on September 21, 2022, after allegedly being beaten on the head by security forces with batons and bleeding to death during the nationwide protest in response to the police killing of Mahsa Jina Amini. Sarina was also a YouTuber who created videos discussing topics such as music, food, school, and restrictions on women in Iran.

15- Azadi Tower, also known as Freedom Tower, is an iconic landmark and symbol of Tehran, the capital of Iran. It is one of the most significant architectural structures in the country, a symbol of freedom, and holds cultural and historical significance in the country's modern identity.

17 - On September 30, 2022, a day referred to as "Bloody Friday,” Iranian security forces employed excessive and unlawful force during protests, resulting in deaths and injuries among demonstrators, including children. The initial use of gunfire against protesters in Zahedan quelled their gatherings. This was followed by an attack on worshipers at the Jameh Mosque of Makki during Friday prayers, which then escalated into street clashes. This brutal crackdown led to a large death toll, with numerous protesters being killed and injured. The demonstrations were sparked by the alleged rape of a 15-year-old Baluch girl in June 2022, reportedly by the police force commander in Chabahar, as well as the police killing of Mahsa Jina Amini.