Sep. 19 – Iranian authorities prevented the family of Mahsa Amini from holding a memorial service for her on Tuesday, three years on from her death.
Mahsa was detained by police for allegedly failing to follow the Islamic Republic’s forced hijab laws, and died on September 16, at the age of 22 from injuries she sustained while in police custody.
Her death ignited the gender equality ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ movement in Iran and sparked the nationwide anti-government protests that followed. Her family have been blocked from holding a service every year since her death.
France demanded the unconditional and immediate release of three of its citizens held in Iran, including nationals Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris who have been charged by the Islamic Republic with spying for Israel.
Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said on Thursday that a prisoner swap deal involving the French prisoners and Iranian woman held in France was close to being finalized.
French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot declined to comment about a possible deal.
And Iranian security forces renewed their crackdown on teachers holding peaceful protests calling for the release of imprisoned teachers, fair wages, proper working conditions, and access to free education for all children in Iran.
At least 45 teachers have been questioned, arrested, or sentenced since the end of the last school year in June 2025 and the start of the new school year in September 2025, according to Iran Human Rights (IHR).
Peaceful demonstrations have been criminalized by the Islamic Republic which also does not recognise independent unions, according to IHR.
