Iranian authorities confiscate Sakharov Prize
She probably died from mistreatment by the morality police: the death of Jina Mahsa Amini sparked fierce protests against the regime in Iran. Amini herself was posthumously honored with the Sakharov Prize this year. But the authorities are now confiscating it.
According to a human rights organization, Iranian security forces have confiscated the Sakharov Prize of the late Iranian-Kurdish protest icon Jina Mahsa Amini. According to the Norway-based organization Hengaw, Amini's lawyer Mohammed Saleh-Nikbakht wanted to hand over the prize from the EU Parliament in Iran to the young Kurdish woman's family.
After arriving at Tehran airport, the lawyer was intercepted and questioned by representatives of the authorities, it was reported. His passport, cell phone and the award for Amini were confiscated. Hengaw's statements have not yet been officially confirmed.
Amini and the associated freedom movement "Woman, Life, Freedom" were awarded the Sakharov Prize in mid-December. However, the Iranian authorities prevented the family of the deceased from accepting the prize.
Nobel Peace Prize also awarded to Iranian woman
Amini's award was announced back in October. At the time, EU Parliament President Roberta Metsola announced that she was being honored for the Iranian women's movement. The prize has been awarded by the EU Parliament since 1988 to personalities or organizations that are committed to defending human rights and freedom of expression. It is endowed with 50,000 euros.
Amini was arrested by the notorious morality police last fall for an alleged violation of the Islamic dress code. The 22-year-old subsequently fell into a coma and died in police custody. According to her family, she died after being mistreated by the morality police, but the Iranian authorities deny this. Her death triggered the most violent protests in the Islamic Republic for decades. The power apparatus cracked down on the protests with great severity.
Also in October, the imprisoned Iranian women's rights activist Narges Mohammadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The prize was awarded in December - her children accepted the award on Mohammadi's behalf.
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The EU Parliament awarded the Sakharov Prize to Mahsa Amini and the associated freedom movement "Women, Life, Freedom" due to her advocacy for women's rights in Iran. Despite this recognition, Iranian authorities confiscated the Sakharov Prize intended for Amini's family, allegedly from her posthumous lawyer.
The EU Parliament also bestowed the Nobel Peace Prize on Iranian women's rights activist Narges Mohammadi in October, but Amini's prize was awarded in mid-December. The Iranian authorities prevented Amini's family from accepting the Sakharov Prize, thus undermining international support for women's rights in Iran.
Source: www.ntv.de
