One of the most significant social and political developments in recent years in Iran is the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement, also known as the “Mahsa” movement. It began in late summer 2022, coinciding with the death of Mahsa Amini at the hands of the Iranian police (morality police), and has continued in various forms since then. The demands of the protesters in this movement reflect deep and widespread discontent that has accumulated over the years within Iranian society.

The core of the popular struggle in this movement includes demands for freedom of dress and the abolition of compulsory hijab, an end to the government’s tight control over people’s private lives, the implementation of civil liberties and attention to human rights, the cessation of structural violence against citizens, severe repression by security forces, and fundamental changes in the political system, social justice, and economic equity. However, the government’s response to such legitimate demands has been solely repression and the widespread use of violence. Since the beginning of the protests, the government has extensively deployed security and military forces to suppress the demonstrations. These forces have used tools like tear gas, batons, and even live bullets to disperse the protesters, resulting in hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries.

Moreover, the government has engaged in widespread arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances of protesters, political and civil activists, journalists, lawyers, and ordinary citizens. Many of these citizens have been sentenced to long-term imprisonment without a fair trial, and some have been subjected to torture. Additionally, many detained protesters and activists have been sentenced to death in show trials on heavy charges such as “moharebeh” (waging war against God) and “efsad-e-fel-arz” (spreading corruption on Earth), with some of them executed to create fear and prevent the continuation of the protests.

During the protests, the government also cut off or severely restricted the internet in many areas to disrupt the communication of protesters with each other and the outside world. This was also done to prevent the spread of images and news related to the repression. Furthermore, the government exerted considerable pressure on the families of the victims of the protests, threatening them with arrest, psychological and social pressure, and even travel bans to prevent them from speaking to the media and publicly disclosing details about the arrest, torture, or death of their loved ones. All of these actions were aimed at controlling the situation and systematically and deliberately suppressing the protesters. In reality, the government used widespread violence and repression in an attempt to contain the protests and prevent their spread to other parts of society.

Women played a central role in these protests, turning this movement into one of the biggest challenges against the gender-based laws and traditions prevailing in Iran. Their protests became a symbol of resistance against compulsory hijab and broader demands for women’s rights. From the government’s perspective, this action not only posed a threat to the existing laws and structures derived from Sharia but was also seen as a direct challenge to the government’s control and authority over women. As a result, the government, with more stringent measures specifically targeting women, sought to punish them and demonstrate that resistance to governmental laws would not go unanswered.

Numerous reports from international organizations, particularly the United Nations Fact-Finding Committee, confirm that the repression of protesters, especially women, was carried out to instill fear and silence the voices of dissent.

It is worth noting that the prominent role of women in the recent movement and their continued struggles have prompted the government to further restrict women’s fundamental freedoms through the passage of laws such as the Hijab and Chastity Bill and the implementation of plans like the “Noor Plan”—said to be the initial phase of the Hijab and Chastity Law, which has not yet been fully legalized. These measures are intended to prevent the recurrence of such protests and punish women for their participation in protest movements by intensifying penalties. In other words, the enactment of strict laws and the issuance of death sentences against protesting women are part of the government’s efforts to maintain power through retribution, aiming to create an atmosphere of fear and terror. However, it can be said that despite the government’s severe repression of protests and its retaliatory policies using various tools, which have temporarily reduced public protests, they have not been able to stop the movement and resistance. As women’s struggles continue in all arenas—even in prisons—their solidarity and awareness of their rights have increased more than ever. The continuation of this trend has led to the failure of government policies, which will result in profound changes in Iran’s social and political structure in the future.