The Clooney Foundation for Justice condemns the Iranian Islamic Republic’s ruthless targeting and unlawful killing of women and girls and stands in solidarity with the brave protesters who continue to fight for their freedom.
CFJ calls on governments that believe in human rights to use every tool at their disposal to support the protesters and ensure that those responsible for violence and repression are held to account.
“I’m in awe of the courage demonstrated by Iranian women and girls who are bravely fighting for their freedom, and the men supporting them. Government forces determined to silence a whole generation of Iranian girls should be held to account for their inhumane treatment of half of the population of their country,” said Amal Clooney Co-Founder of the Clooney Foundation For Justice.
The protests in Iran broke out following the death in police custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who had been arrested for allegedly breaking the country’s strict hijab rules. Despite the theocratic regime’s brutal crackdown, killing over 200 people, including 23 children, and arresting more than 1,800 others, protesters remain undeterred. This round of popular protests follows previous movements against the regime in 2009, 2017 and 2019.
Since the death of Amini, protesters’ demands have evolved from calling for an end to violence and discrimination against women in Iran, including strict dress codes, to calls for revolution and the fall of the dictatorial regime.
“Girls around the world are watching as children are forced to lead a movement to save their lives. They should be seeing concrete action to investigate and prosecute those responsible for these heinous attacks, so that Mahsa Amini’s family, and all victims of this violent crackdown, can see justice being done. It is abhorrent that in 2022 there are still girls around the world who lack the freedom to make basic choices about their lives. As a foundation this is a battle we will continue to fight,” added Clooney.
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For more information about our Waging Justice For Women initiative, please click here.
To read this statement in Farsi, please click here.