March 31 – Iranians who claimed to have been injured by the police during anti-government protests have begun to file lawsuits, according to an attorney in the country.
The lawyer told Iranian news outlet Emtedad that at least four people had filed claims, in several provinces around the country.
Iran’s government has been repeatedly condemned by the United Nations and international human rights watchdogs for its use of excessive and unlawful force against demonstrators which has left more than 500 people dead, including 71 children.
Women in Iran could be fined up to $60,000 for failing to follow the country’s strict gender-based dress code.
The announcement follows the submission of a bill in Iran’s parliament to strengthen the enforcement of compulsory hijab laws.
Other penalties in the bill include the removal of drivers’ licenses and their passports, and a ban on the use of the internet for offenders deemed to be celebrities and social media influencers, according to Hossein Jalali, a member of the Cultural Commission of the Iranian parliament.
And two female journalists in Iran won the 2023 Louis M. Lyons Award for Conscience and Integrity in Journalism for their commitment to “producing courageous journalism about issues in Iran affecting women,” including the death of 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian Jina Mahsa Amini.
Nilofar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi have been imprisoned since the anti-government protests began, on charges of “propaganda against the system” and “conspiring to act against national security,” for breaking the news of Amini’s detention and subsequent death in September while in police custody.
Both women may face the death penalty if they are found guilty of the charges.
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