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Protesters carry a banner through Berlin on the occasion of the first anniversary of the death of Jina Mahsa Amini
Photo: Omer Messinger/Getty Images
The Kurdish Iranian Jina Mahsa Amini, who died about a year ago, has been posthumously awarded the Sakharov Prize for Democracy and Human Rights. It honours the Iranian women's movement, announced EU Parliament President Roberta Metsola in Strasbourg. With "Women, Life, Freedom," Metsola repeated the slogan of the mass protests in Iran that broke out after Amini's death on the online service X, formerly Twitter.
"The brutal murder of Jina Mahsa Amini marks a turning point," Metsola said. "He started a movement of women that will go down in history," she added. The slogan "Women-Life-Freedom" has become a call "for all those who defend the equality, dignity and freedom of all people in Iran." The Iranian authorities cracked down on the "Women, Life, Freedom" movement.
Amini, 22, died in September 2022 after her arrest by Iran's morality police for allegedly wearing a headscarf that was too loose. According to her family, she died after being mistreated by the morality police, which the Iranian authorities deny.
An award ceremony is scheduled for December 13. The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought has been awarded for 35 years to individuals or organisations who promote human rights and freedom of expression. It is endowed with 50,000 euros.
Previously, the Iranian Narges Mohammadi had already been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize 2023 for her fight for women's rights.
aeh/AFP