Cut It Out!

On 16 September 2022, a 22-year-old Iranian woman named Mahsa Amini — Persian: مهسا امینی —, also known as Jina Amini or Zhina Amini, died in Tehran, Iran, under suspicious circumstances, allegedly due to police brutality.

Protests that erupted in many parts of Iran following her death have led to the deaths of about 80 people and an unknown number arrested — as of today, protests entered their 13th day on Thursday, even as authorities continued to restrict access to the internet.

The 22-year-old was arrested earlier this month in the capital, Tehran, by Iran’s so-called “morality police” for allegedly not following the country’s dress code for women. Authorities said she later had a stroke while in custody and died in a hospital on September 16, three days after falling into a coma.

Amini’s family, in interviews with local media, have rejected authorities’ claims that she suffered from pre-existing conditions and said she may have been beaten. A state investigation into the cause of her death is expected to turn up results within weeks.

In the meantime, Mahsa’s death, and the Iranian women’s condition in general, have returned to draw the attention. While many women are cutting their hair publicly to demand justice for Mahsa, many artists all over the world are giving their personal tribute to the cause, including Marco Melgrati who for the occasion created an illustration entitled Cut It Out!. A touching scene which seems to significantly sum up the sense of a protest that has been going on for too long.