By HRF Legal & Policy Researcher Claudia Bennett
Forty-four years after the 1979 Iranian Revolution, Tehran is once again feeling the wrath of its citizenry. Then, it was the Shah and his “modern ideals” the people sought to, and successfully did, overthrow. Now, a different regime — the Islamic Republic — is in power and in the people’s crosshairs.
In the words of Grammy-award-winning artist, Lizzo: It’s about damn time. We in the free world can, and should, stand with the Iranian people as they demand some sort of accountability from the regime, especially on Saturday — the anniversary of another revolution.
Since the brutal murder of Mahsa Amini in September 2022 at the hands of the morality police, protests have taken place across Iran and the world.
Importantly, they’ve been led by women in courageous defiance.
What started with hair-cutting, hijabs-on-fire, and chants of “women, life, freedom” has morphed into an underground movement that’s sending a very clear message to the regime: The people aren’t going to stop protesting anytime soon.