Mahsa Amini

Solidarity with Iranian Protests in Melbourne

Her mother was an active member of the Parents and Teachers Association for three years in Shahrak Elementary School, Hijab Secondary School and Taleghani High School. She had one younger brother, Kiarash (Ashkan).[35] Her father, Amjad Amini,[36] is an employee in a government organization and her mother, Mojgan Amini,[30] is a housewife.[37] She had several cousins, some of which lived in different countries. One of them was Erfan Mortezaei,[38][39] a left-wing political activist belonging to the Komala party and a Peshmerga fighter living in self-exile in Iraqi Kurdistan,[40] who was the first member of Amini's family to speak to the media after her death.[40] Despite Mortezaei's political affiliations, he has debunked claims by the Iranian government that Amini herself was involved in any politics.[40] Instead, Amini has been described as having been a “shy, reserved resident” of her hometown[41] who avoided politics, with Amini being reported as never being politically active as a teenager, and as not being an activist.[37] Another cousin, Dyako Mohammadi,[42] lives in Norway and spoke to media there about Amini.[43] Amini's family have described her as having no prior health conditions, and as being a "healthy" 22 year old, contrasting the claims made by the Iranian government that she possessed prior health conditions.[35] Her uncle Safa was arrested a few days before her death anniversary.

According to those who knew her closely, Mahsa Amini was quiet, reserved and treated everyone around her with a kind of old-school politeness. She avoided politics and activism, and did not follow the news. She did not have many friends and mostly socialized with her relatives.[44] Mohammadi was a literature teacher at Hijab school where Jina pursued her middle education. Mohammadi once said to Jina's mother, "Mojgan, take care of this child; she's incredibly genteel". Her teachers described her as a quiet girl, suggesting she should be a bit more playful. Her brother, Ashkan, was more mischievous, while she was gentler. Despite their small age difference, they rarely got upset to the point of anger.[45][46] She wished to become a doctor. When she was a child, she held her father's hand and accompanied him to the market to buy a white coat for her. When she couldn't find one in her small size, she purchased white fabric for her mother to sew.[47] She also acquired a stethoscope toy. She arranged her dolls in the room, examining and prescribing treatments for them. Mozhgan, her mother, would knock on the room's door and ask, "May I have an appointment, Dr.?" or "Can I be your patient darling?". At school, she was cherished by her classmates and admired by her teachers as a model student.[48][45]

Mahsa Amini Livery taken at Tokyo Haneda Airport on the Barcelona soccer team's private jet

Her academic performance consistently excelled, and she exuded a calm and serene demeanor. She was energetic during sports classes as she would be jumping and playing volleyball. On weekends, she and her family sometimes strolled in Kowsar Park or Shahr Park in her city, Saqqez or returned to the Seye Ava region. There she could take her hijab and allow her hair dance in the wind. There her favorite volleyball partner was Safa Aeli, her uncle. As her grandfather fondly said, "Don't call my girl Jina; call her Shane," meaning breeze in Kurdish[49] She liked pets and was always saying to Safa "I like dogs and cats!" She also was an athlete. In addition to her passion for volleyball, she also had a deep love for swimming and held a swimming coaching certificate. She patiently spent two years preparing for her college entrance exams and temporarily set aside her ambition to become a doctor. She went to Urmia to study microbiology and always said, "I will become a doctor one day for sure.[50] Like many of her peers, she also aspired to be an actress. She attended acting and theater classes for a brief period. Later on, she auditioned for several film roles. Her favorite cosmetics included red lipstick and nail polishes. Unlike some families in the area, neither her parents created obstacles to their children’s desires. They belonged to a moderately religious, middle-class family that cherished their children.[51] Her mother once said, "I swear to God, my child said she wanted to serve humanity".[52][53][54]

For Mahsa Amini, as can be seen from her photos and videos on social media, only the mandatory rules made her wear hijab half-heartedly. She did not observe the hijab in various events such as weddings and wore traditional Kurdish clothes that do not have a hijab.[55][56][57] She also partially observed hijab when traveling to tourist areas. This issue caused the moral security officers to arrest her and beat her. This also caused people, especially women and girls, to join her and put away their hijab.[58][59][60]

The Woman, Life, Freedom movement began as a response to her death.[79][80]

Protesters, along with the celebrities Marion Cotillard, Hande Yener, Juliette Binoche[81][82][83] and politicians Abir Al-Sahlani and Hadja Lahbib would cut their hair.[84][85][86][87] Women across Iran would remove and burn headscarves to protest the mandatory hijab.[88]

In the United States, the Mahsa Amini Human rights and Security Accountability Act (MAHSA Act) is a bill that was first introduced to the 117th Congress in the wake of the Woman, Life, Freedom protests. Its intention is to put sanctions on the leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran.[100] The bill was reintroduced as H.R. 589[101] to the House of Representatives and as S.2626[102] to the Senate in the 118th Congress.

US President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in two separate messages on the occasion of the anniversary of Mehsa Amini's death in the custody of the morality police of Iran that they will continue to stand by the people of Iran.[103] Linda Thomas-Greenfield issued a statement on the occasion of Mehsa Amini's death anniversary, saying:[104]

Mehsa "Gina" Amini's life was tragically cut short, but her courage inspired a movement that will continue against the unprecedented brutality of the Iranian regime. In the months since her death, tens of thousands of ordinary Iranians—led by other brave Iranian women—have come together to protest with a simple message: "Women, life, freedom". Today, the United States announced new sanctions against 29 Iranian individuals and entities involved in repression and violence against protesters, prisoner abuse, and censorship.

Members of the European Parliament have awarded the 2023 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to Jina Mahsa Amini and the Woman, Life, Freedom movement.

Members of the European Parliament have awarded the 2023 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to Mahsa Amini and the Woman, Life, Freedom movement. President Roberta Metsola declared:[25][105][106]

On 16 September we marked one year since the murder of Jina Mahsa Amini in Iran.[107] The European Parliament proudly stands with the brave and defiant who continue to fight for equality, dignity and freedom in Iran. We stand with those who, even from prison, continue to keep Women, Life and Freedom alive. By choosing them as laureates for the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought 2023, this House remembers their struggle and continues to honour all those who have paid the ultimate price for liberty.