The Iranian people are not âfreeâ because of their government. Supporting the Iranian government is almost the exact opposite of supporting the Iranian people. A free country doesnât shoot protesters in the streets. During the 2022 âWoman, Life, Freedomâ protests after Mahsa Amini died in morality-police custody, more than 500 people were killed and over 20,000 arrested according to human-rights groups. Dozens of those killed were children. People have also been executed for protest-related charges since then. Thats not freedom. And that may not even be the full scale of it. Some investigations and medical sources have suggested the real death toll from various crackdowns could be far higher, because many killings go unreported and bodies are sometimes buried quickly under state control. Some reports have speculated that the number of deaths from different protest crackdowns could reach into the tens of thousands, though those figures are debated. Even the lowest confirmed numbers already tell you what kind of system this is. Women in Iran are still legally forced to wear hijab under state law. Refuse and you can be arrested, beaten, or worse. The protests that shook the country started because a young woman died in custody for allegedly wearing it âimproperlyâ. That alone should tell you something. Women are technically allowed to drive cars, but even that comes with state control. Authorities have confiscated tens of thousands of vehicles belonging to women accused of violating compulsory veiling laws. Imagine living in a country where even driving can get your car seized by the state because of how you are dressed. When Iranians can protest without being shot, when women arenât policed by the state over what they wear, and when dissent doesnât lead to prison or execution - then maybe the word âfreeâ might apply. Until then its simply not reality.
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