Mahsa Amini’s Family Barred from Leaving Iran to Accept Human Rights Prize

Iranwire – The Islamic Republic’s authorities have barred the family of Mahsa Amini from leaving Iran to attend a ceremony in France, where she is to be honored with the prestigious Sakharov Prize, IranWire reports. 

Hours before Amini’s family was set to depart for France on December 8, authorities at Imam Khomeini International Airport prevented them from boarding their flight.

Authoeiries confiscated their passports and informed them that they were not authorized to leave the country, according to IranWire sources. 

Amini’s family has been repeatedly questioned and security forces violently clashed with Mahsa’a brother, Kiarash, on previous occasions. He suffered injuries in the clashes.

Their lawyer, Saleh Nikbakht, was en route to France to accept the prize Friday evening. 

Previously, Amjad Amini, Mahsa’s father, said that “Jina’s [Mahsa’s] name has evolved into a symbol of freedom and equality worldwide.”

Amini’s family is now stranded in Iran and has been told to report to the passport office on Sunday for further questioning. 

The exact reasons behind this decision remain unclear, but it is widely believed to be a politically-motivated move aimed at silencing Amini’s family and suppressing the burgeoning women’s rights movement in Iran.

An Iranian court sentenced the legal representative of the family to one year in prison for “propaganda activity” against the Islamic Republic in October. 

Branch 28 of the Islamic Revolution Court of Tehran also banned Saleh Nikbakht from online activities for two years.

Nikbakht, 72, was put on trial over interviews he gave to domestic and foreign media, in which he criticized the government’s handling of Mahsa Amini’s death and its aftermath.

The 22-year-old Amini was arrested by the morality police for allegedly wearing the mandatory headscarf “improperly.”

Her September 16, 2022 death in custody sparked months of nationwide protests. 

More than 500 people were killed in the clampdown by security forces and over 20,000 people were unlawfully detained, including dozens of lawyers.

Following biased trials, the judiciary has handed down stiff sentences, including the death penalty, to protesters. 

The Islamic Republic authorities have so far executed at least eight young protesters.