Current:Home > MarketsEU remembers Iranian woman who died in custody at awarding of Sakharov human rights prize-VaTradeCoin
EU remembers Iranian woman who died in custody at awarding of Sakharov human rights prize
View Date:2025-01-07 13:08:15
BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Parliament on Tuesday remembered a young woman who died in police custody in Iran last year, during a ceremony at which she and a Iranian human rights group were officially awarded the EU’s top human rights prize.
Parliament President Roberta Metsola deplored that even part of Mahsa Amini’s family was not allowed to attend the event for the awarding of the Sakharov Prize at the EU legislature’s plenary.
“They are under a travel ban imposed by the Iranian regime. Their treatment is another example of what the people of Iran face every day,” Metsola said.
Amini, 22, died in September 2022, three days after she was arrested by Iran’s morality police for allegedly violating Iran’s mandatory headscarf law. While authorities said she suffered a heart attack, Amini’s supporters said she was beaten by police and died as a result of her injuries.
The EU said her death triggered a women-led movement in Iran, and representatives of the Woman, Life, Freedom movement in Iran were in Strasbourg, France, to attend the solemn ceremony.
The 27-nation EU has imposed sanctions on Iranian officials and organizations — including ministers, military officers and Iran’s morality police — for human rights abuses over the protests.
“This year’s Sakharov Prize serves as a tribute to all the brave and defiant women, men and young people in Iran who, despite coming under increasing pressure, are continue the push for change,” Metsola said.
Amini’s death triggered protests that spread across the country and rapidly escalated into calls for the overthrow of Iran’s four-decade-old Islamic theocracy.
Authorities responded with a violent crackdown in which more than 500 people were killed and over 22,000 others were detained, according to rights groups. The demonstrations largely died down early this year, but there are still widespread signs of discontent. For several months, women could be seen openly flaunting the headscarf rule in Tehran and other cities, prompting a renewed crackdown over the summer.
The EU award, named for Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov, was created in 1988 to honor individuals or groups who defend human rights and fundamental freedoms. Sakharov, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, died in 1989.
veryGood! (9)
Related
- Ex-Phoenix Suns employee files racial discrimination, retaliation lawsuit against the team
- Yankees ace Gerrit Cole out until at least May, will undergo more elbow exams
- Chrissy Teigen Shows Off Her Boob Lift Scars in Sexy See-Through Dress
- Neti pots, nasal rinsing linked to another dangerous amoeba. Here's what to know.
- Inspector general finds no fault in Park Police shooting of Virginia man in 2017
- Group of Five head coaches leaving for assistant jobs is sign of college football landscape shift
- Christina Applegate Says She Was Living With Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms for 7 Years Before Diagnosis
- Kenny Payne fired as Louisville men's basketball coach after just 12 wins in two seasons
- Ariana Grande Shares Dad's Emotional Reaction to Using His Last Name in Wicked Credits
- Man spent years trying to create giant hybrid sheep to be sold and hunted as trophies, federal prosecutors say
Ranking
- IAT Community Introduce
- 1 dead and 1 missing after kayak overturns on Connecticut lake
- Kentucky House passes a bill aimed at putting a school choice constitutional amendment on the ballot
- Horoscopes Today, March 13, 2024
- 15 new movies you'll want to stream this holiday season, from 'Emilia Perez' to 'Maria'
- Transgender recognition would be blocked under Mississippi bill defining sex as ‘man’ or ‘woman’
- Nikki Reed Shares Postpartum Hair Shedding Problem After Welcoming Baby No. 2 With Ian Somerhalder
- HIV prevention drugs known as PrEP are highly effective, but many at risk don't know about them
Recommendation
-
The Bachelorette's Desiree Hartsock Gives Birth, Welcomes Baby No. 3 With Chris Siegfried
-
Where Love Is Blind’s Jimmy and Jessica Really Stand After His Breakup With Chelsea
-
Massachusetts governor to pardon hundreds of thousands with marijuana convictions
-
Majority of U.S. adults are against college athletes joining unions, according to AP-NORC survey
-
Jana Kramer’s Ex Mike Caussin Shares Resentment Over Her Child Support Payments
-
Kate Middleton Photographer Shares Details Behind Car Outing With Prince William
-
HIV prevention drugs known as PrEP are highly effective, but many at risk don't know about them
-
Get free treats, discounts if you solve the 1,000th Wordle puzzle this week