The University of New Mexico’s Iranian Student Association will hold a candlelight vigil Friday in honor of an Iranian woman whose family says she was killed by law enforcement authorities in Iran.
According to a UNM news website, the vigil will honor Mahsa Amini, 22, who was detained by Iran’s morality police for allegedly wearing an inappropriate hijab on Sept. 13. Amini was taken to a detention center in a police van, but upon getting there, she collapsed, eventually went brain dead and died of cardiac arrest three days later, the site says, adding that she also suffered severe skull fractures.
Iranian police denied allegations that they were involved in her death, the site says. The incident has prompted a series of ongoing protests across Iran.
The vigil will start at 5 p.m. in front of the UNM Bookstore. According to the site, the vigil “will not only honor Amini but will pay respects to all lives lost through police brutality, as well as those fighting for equal women’s rights throughout Iran.” For more information, email Tina Memarian at tmemarian@unm.edu.
