Teachers’ union says Mahsa movement a turning point for Iran

Iranian security forces blocked roads to the Aichi cemetery in Saqqez, where Mahsa Amini is buried, and set up checkpoints to inspect vehicles on Tuesday, Iran International has learned.

According to voices sent to Iran International, the internet connection is also disrupted in the city.

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Australian senator Claire Chandler marked the third anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death in police custody with a message praising the bravery of thousands of Iranian women who ignited the Women, Life, Freedom movement.

“The death of Mahsa lit the spark for a global movement,” Chandler said. “Today I pay tribute not only to Mahsa, but to thousands of Iranian women and girls who have bravely fought for rights that women everywhere should enjoy.”

Students at Tehran’s Sharif University of Technology displayed photos of teenagers killed in Iran’s 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom uprising to mark the third anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death in custody, local activist channels reported on Monday.

A caption under the images read: “So much injustice befell us and no one spoke of it; where is the messenger to tell the tale?”

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Iranian political prisoner Abolfazl Ghadiani has accused Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei of bearing direct responsibility for the death of Mahsa Amini and the violent crackdown on protests that followed, calling on him to resign.

In a statement from Tehran’s Evin prison marking the third anniversary of Amini’s death in morality police custody, Ghadiani said: “The culprit and main person responsible for all crimes and catastrophes is Ali Khamenei, who must be held accountable.”

Ghadiani, a veteran dissident and former revolutionary figure jailed repeatedly for his criticism of Iran’s leadership, described Khamenei as “a despotic, power-hungry criminal” and said the 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom uprising directly targeted him and the Islamic Republic.

“The corrupt system of the Islamic Republic cannot be reformed. The destructive and anti-ethical theory of velayat-e faqih (guardianship of the jurist) is an inseparable part of this repressive system,” he wrote, referring to the Supreme Leader.

Ghadiani alleged that “hundreds of unarmed people were killed, thousands wounded, and scores deliberately blinded by security forces” during the crackdown on protests, while tens of thousands were arrested.

Despite this, he said, the movement remains alive: “The uprising continues among the people. I hope this infernal system collapses by the hands of the Iranian nation, and that through a referendum, a democratic secular republic based on human rights replaces it.”

Addressing Khamenei directly, Ghadiani added: “If you have a shred of conscience left, step down and resign so that the people can bring to power the system they desire.”

Exiled Iranian opposition figure Reza Pahlavi on Tuesday marked the third anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death, calling her a global symbol of defiance and urging young Iranians to carry forward the struggle for freedom.

“Three years ago today, Mahsa Amini, innocent, was killed. But her voice was not silenced; her name and image became global, and an inspiration for millions of Iranians in their fight against the corrupt regime of the Islamic Republic,” Pahlavi wrote on X.

He said Amini’s memory honored the women and men who died, were wounded, blinded or tortured during the nationwide protests that erupted after her death in morality police custody in September 2022.

Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s deposed shah, linked the uprising to earlier waves of unrest in 2017 and 2019, describing them as the roots of a “national revolution” that he said would continue until victory.

“To the young generation of Iran, I say: You are the generation of victory. You will build a free future with your own hands, and turn the dream of Mahsa and all who gave their lives for Iran’s freedom into reality,” he said, adding: “I stand with you in this struggle.”

Iran denies that Amini was beaten in custody and says she died of underlying health issues, a claim rejected by her family. Rights groups say more than 500 people were killed in the 2022 crackdown and thousands arrested.