Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe cuts her hair in solidarity with Iran protests
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has filmed herself cutting her hair in solidarity with Iranian demonstrators protesting the death of Mahsa Amini.
The 44-year-old mother-of-one, who spent six years in prison in Iran, said the act was ‘for my mother, for my daughter, for the fear of solitary confinement, for the women of my country, for freedom.’
Protests have raged around the world, united in fury at Mahsa’s death in police custody.
The 22-year-old was arrested by the morality police in Tehran over issues with her hijab. Activists claim she was beaten up, leading her to slip into a coma and die.
But the same regime, who kept Nazanin away from her daughter and husband, claim Mahsa died of a heart attack. Her family believe she was ‘tortured’.
Nazanin was eventually released in March following a long campaign and negotiation between the British and Iranian governments.
Her long-awaited return came after the government paid back a £400 million debt to Iran, which both countries deny is the reason for her release.
Since Mahsa’s death on September 13, women have been filmed burning their hijabs and cutting their hair – an ancient Persian symbol of protest.
More than 80 cities and towns in Iran have held demonstrations, with human rights watchers reporting security forces have killed at least 76 protesters.
Mahsa’s cousin, Erfan Mortezaei, said: ‘There is a report from Kasra hospital [in Tehran] that said effectively by the time she reached the hospital she was already dead from a medical point of view.’
Demonstrators have been heard chanting: ‘We will fight and take our country back.’
There have also been calls for the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and his son and likely successor, Mojtaba, to be overthrown.
State media have reported that 41 people have died, including security personnel, and have called the demonstrators ‘rioters’.
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