Four Years On, Iranian Woman Seeks Justice For Brother Killed In Women, Life, Freedom Protests

Shahriar Mohammadi was among the hundreds killed in Iran's bloody crackdown on the Women, Life, Freedom protests that erupted four years ago.

The nationwide demonstrations were triggered by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a young woman who was accused of violating the country's controversial hijab law.

The protests began as a rebuke of the brutal enforcement of the Islamic head scarf but grew into one of the most sustained challenges to Iran's clerical rulers, who used lethal force to crush the rallies, killing around 500 people, human rights groups said.

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Mohammadi was shot in the northwestern city of Bukan in November 2022. Iranian security forces fired on his vehicle, and the 28-year-old later died in hospital from his wounds, his family has said.

"It's very difficult to put these four years into words," Asrin Mohammadi, his sister, told RFE/RL's Radio Farda. "Our lives were completely transformed and turned upside down."

In their pursuit of justice for Mohammadi's death, his family found themselves on a collision course with the authorities.

Iranian police detained and interrogated Asrin and her other brother, Milad, she said. They also barred the family from visiting Mohammadi's grave and holding any gatherings marking his death.

"Because we sought justice, we were detained, tortured -- psychologically and physically -- and forced to emigrate," said Asrin. "These four years have been incredibly challenging, especially given the magnitude of the loss we experienced."

'Forced To Leave My Homeland'

Asrin and her brother fled to Canada soon after they were released from detention, she said.

"I had wanted to remain in Iran and ensure that something would be done so that the perpetrators would pay a price," said Asrin. "Unfortunately, they continued pursuing me and built a very serious case against me. I was therefore forced to leave my homeland."

Even in exile, she and her brother have continued their fight for justice, working with leading human rights groups including Amnesty International to document human rights violations and build detailed case files.

"I don't expect justice to be achieved overnight," said Asrin. "But I want everyone involved -- those who ordered the killings, those who carried out the repression, and those who fired the shots -- to one day be tried and held accountable in independent courts."

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Amnesty International on September 16 released a more than 1,000-page report that accused Iranian authorities of committing crimes against humanity, murder, torture, enforced disappearance, imprisonment, rape, and persecution during the protests in 2022.

Based on interviews with 270 people and analysis of over 2,000 videos, the report identified 87 Iranian officials that Amnesty International said should be investigated for crimes against humanity.

The rights group said the authorities disproportionately targeted Iran's ethnic Kurdish and Baluch minorities "with lethal repression and subjected them to the crime against humanity of persecution."

Written by Frud Bezhan based on reporting by RFE/RL’s Radio Farda