Calls for justice grow in Manitoba over in-custody death of Mahsa Amini in Iran
200 gather outside Manitoba legislature Friday; Amini's death followed arrest by Iranian morality police
About 200 people gathered outside the Manitoba Legislature on Friday to repeat calls for justice in the death of Mahsa Amini.
The Iranian woman died last week after she was arrested by Iran's morality police for "unsuitable attire." She had allegedly worn a hijab improperly, resulting in her arrest.
The 22-year-old's death has sparked global protests, including across Canada, over human rights concerns.
"Her death was very brutal and that's why it's captured everyone's attention, because she was just innocent," Kourosh Doustshenas said outside the legislature. "We all came here to support the women of Iran fighting for the basic human rights."
The protests, led in large part by women around the world, have seen women throwing off their headscarves and cutting their hair in defiance.
Several more people have died amid protests in Iran.
Doustshenas's fiancée, Forough Khadem, was one of 176 people to die in Ukrainian International Airlines Flight PS752. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp shot down the Ukrainian commercial plane with two surface-to-air missiles in January 2020. All 176 people onboard, including 55 Canadian citizens and 30 permanent residents, were killed. Eight of the passengers were from Winnipeg.
"They have not faced any real justice and we are still fighting to get the truth and justice," Doustshenas said.
Doustshenas said those at the protest want the world to unite in the name of equality, freedom and human rights, and want to take a stand against "this murderous regime in Iran."
"This regime has shown time after time after time they are not capable of accepting any democratic rights or any reform," he said. "The only language they understand is basically force."
Friday's protest followed others in Manitoba in recent days, including one at the University of Manitoba and another last weekend at the legislature.
Since then, nearly a dozen journalists have been arrested amid clashes in Iran, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. The Iranian government has also reportedly blocked internet access in the country.
"The Iranian government is cracking down on journalists and activists in order to prevent the story being spread further," Sajjad Heydari said outside the legislature. "There's a whole blackout of information going on right now."
Heydari would like to see the Canadian and other governments apply more pressure to Iran.
"The Islamic regime by definition would not let women to have equal rights," he said. "We would like to see that changed we would like the world to recognize our right to self-governance and we would like them to stop supporting them."
