Iranian security forces have taken into custody Faeseh Hashemi, the daughter of influential Iranian ex-President Ali Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani, in connection with the recent protests. According to the Tasnim news agency on Wednesday, Hashemi was “arrested” by the security service for supporting women’s protests in the capital Tehran. According to Tasnim, she had tried to motivate women to take part in the protests. This is currently classified as a criminal offense in Iran.
The 59-year-old Hashemi has been a critic of the Islamic system for years. The former member of parliament and women’s sports official is therefore also on a so-called black list of the system and has also been arrested several times. As a women’s activist, Hashemi was always against compulsory headscarves, although she wears one herself. She was also the editor of the daily newspaper “San” (Woman), which had to close in 1999 because of its feminist views.
The trigger for the eleven-day protests in Iran is the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. She was arrested by the Morality Police for violating the strict Islamic dress code and died on September 16 under unclear circumstances. The demonstrators speak of police violence, which the authorities firmly reject.
