Mahsa Pirahi, the daughter of a woman killed by Iranian security forces, has asked Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Manchester, to bring the officials of this country to justice for her mother's murder. Minou Majidi, Mahsa's mother, was shot dead in September 2022 while fleeing from Iranian forces and was one of the hundreds of protesters who lost their lives in the "Women, Life, Freedom" protests.
The murder of Minou Majidi and recent protests
Minou Majidi took to the streets on September 20, four days after the protests began on September 16. She was shot at close range with metal bullets in Kermanshah while fleeing from the severe crackdown by security forces. The protests began following the death of Mahsa Amini, a woman who was arrested by security forces for not adhering to the hijab.
Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, have noted in their reports that Iranian officials have committed crimes against humanity during the brutal crackdown on protests. The report mentions the killing of 49 children and 45 cases of sexual violence in custody. Mahsa said at a press conference in London: "My mother was seeking freedom and change and wanted to create a better future for younger generations."
Amnesty International's call for justice
In its new report released on the fourth anniversary of these protests, Amnesty International named 87 Iranian officials who, according to the organization, should be investigated for committing war crimes. Agnes Callamard, the Secretary General of Amnesty International, has urged Burnham to pressure during his trip to the United Nations General Assembly to initiate legal action against Iran.
Mahsa Pirahi has also asked Burnham to listen to the voices of the Iranian people and take more serious actions to punish those responsible for the crackdowns. She stated: "We went to London weekly and asked the government to list the Iranian terrorist regime as terrorists, but they did not listen to us."
She continued: "The people of Iran are truly hopeless, and this situation is not good for humanity. They are losing their faith in international human rights." Mahsa is strongly calling for the establishment of an international judicial mechanism to prosecute Iranian officials and emphasizes that without justice for her mother, life has no meaning.
Amnesty International has also pointed out that various countries should conduct their own investigations into Iranian officials based on the principle of universal jurisdiction. Callamard added: "The UK has the legal resources necessary to take more action than it has done to prosecute Iran."
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