Statement of the Abroad Committee of the Communist Party of Iran on the Occasion of the Fourth Anniversary of the Revolutionary “Woman, Life, Freedom” Uprising
Jina Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman, was subjected to beatings by Tehran’s morality police during her detention on September 13, 2022, and died on September 16 after three days of hospitalization at Kasra Hospital due to severe injuries, including a skull fracture and cerebral hemorrhage. Her death became a symbol of protest against repression, discrimination, and violence, particularly against women, in Iran.
The participation of several thousand people in the funeral ceremony of the late Jina in her hometown of Saqqez on September 17, 2022, turned the ceremony into a widespread protest. This protest ignited the fuse of years of accumulated anger and dissatisfaction among various oppressed sections of society against the Islamic Republic, and its flames quickly spread across the country. The slogan “Woman, Life, Freedom” became the main slogan and rallying cry of the protests. Girls and women became the central figures of the protests by burning the compulsory hijab in the streets. Young people, workers, students, and oppressed nations also joined the protests one after another in cities across the country.
It did not take long for the protests to go beyond opposition to the compulsory hijab and develop into a revolutionary uprising, in the course of which various oppressed sections of society demanded freedom, equality, and human dignity. The significance of this uprising was no longer merely a matter of the number of protests or its reflection in European parliaments. Rather, for the first time, the connection between women’s rights and freedoms, individual freedoms, social solidarity, and opposition to the political structure of the Islamic Republic became the central focus of protests in Iran.
During the revolutionary “Woman, Life, Freedom” uprising, people took to the streets and alleys on a widespread and continuous basis for nearly four months. Unfortunately, due to objective factors, including severe repression, unrealistic and premature expectations, as well as the opportunism of the right-wing opposition, this uprising largely subsided after four months and entered another phase. In this phase, the street uprising gave way to scattered protests and various forms of civil disobedience.
Jina’s revolutionary uprising brought important achievements and experiences to the people. This uprising highlighted the decisive role of women in social transformations and demonstrated the power of solidarity among different groups within society. It also turned freedom, equality, and human dignity more than ever into widespread demands and revealed the different demands and outlook of the younger generation.
One of the important outcomes of this uprising was the weakening of the possibility of enforcing the compulsory hijab and the expansion of women’s civil disobedience. Most importantly, this uprising made the deep divide between a large section of society and the Islamic Republic more apparent and showed that Iranian society has undergone profound changes in terms of values, demands, and lifestyle, and that this process is still continuing.
Unfortunately, these days we are witnessing the spread of war and political and economic insecurity. A situation that has above all made ordinary people the victims and placed them under pressure. In this context, the role of the Islamic Republic in creating and fueling this war cannot be ignored. A government whose regional policies and continued confrontations have paved the way for and been among the main factors contributing to the emergence of this situation.
On the other hand, the United States and Israel have also contributed to the intensification and expansion of the crisis through their military and war-mongering policies. From this perspective, although these three forces have different goals and interests, in practice the outcome of the policies of all three has been to impose heavy security and economic costs on the people. In this sense, the Islamic Republic, the United States, and Israel can be considered the three sides of a devastating situation.
We hope that in the near future we will witness an end to the war and insecurity and the return of peace to society. Going forward, it is essential that freedom and equality-seeking movements, including the labor movement, women’s movement, student movement, teachers’ movement, retirees’ movement, the movement for justice, and environmental defenders, expand further and that ties and cooperation among them be strengthened. Such cooperation can pave the way for profound social transformations and ultimately for the formation of a social revolution to build a free, equal, and humane society.
The Abroad Committee of the Communist Party of Iran commemorates the memory of Jina and all those who lost their lives during the revolutionary “Woman, Life, Freedom” uprising and salutes their families. We also wish health and success to all those who were harmed during this uprising.
Abroad Committee of the Communist Party of Iran
September 11, 2026
