Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman, has been given a top human rights prize by the European Union. She was awarded the EU’s Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought for her defense of human rights and freedom. Amini’s death in police custody led to protests for women’s rights in Iran. She was arrested for not wearing the required headscarf and died while in custody. This sparked widespread protests, both in Iran and around the world.
The European Parliament President, Roberta Metsola, called Amini’s movement historic and hopes the award will honor those in Iran fighting for change. The protests in Iran were met with a violent crackdown by authorities, leading to many arrests and deaths. Despite international calls for an independent inquiry, Iranian officials have not been held accountable for their actions.
In addition to Mahsa Amini, another Iranian woman, Narges Mohammadi, won the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize for her activism in promoting women’s rights and human rights in Iran.
