Iranian lawmaker Ahmad Aryaeinejad issued a public apology after making offensive televised remarks about Zhina Mahsa Amini. The parliamentarian representing Malayer expressed regret following intense public backlash and strong condemnation from Amini’s grieving family. Aryaeinejad acknowledged using inappropriate language while criticizing current political leaders during a recent state television broadcast. Furthermore, the public apology comes shortly before the fourth anniversary of Amini’s death.
In September 2022, Tehran morality police detained 22-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini over Iran’s mandatory hijab rules. She fell into a coma while in official custody and died three days later. United Nations investigators subsequently concluded that physical violence while she was in state custody contributed to her unlawful death. Consequently, her death triggered nationwide Woman, Life, Freedom protests across major Iranian cities.
In response to the lawmaker’s remarks, Amini’s parents strongly criticized his televised comments on social media platforms. Her father, Amjad Amini, publicly condemned the insult against his deceased daughter and the Kurdish community. Her mother, Mozhgan Eftekhari, stated that derogatory comments cannot diminish her daughter’s enduring memory or honor. Meanwhile, security authorities have routinely restricted the family’s activities and memorial gatherings around the anniversary of Amini’s death.
Iranian institutions have previously disciplined public figures for making derogatory remarks about Amini on national television. For instance, academic officials removed department head Ali Entezari following similar public comments in August 2024. Observers note that Amini remains a powerful symbol of political reform and opposition in Iran. Moving forward, authorities continue to closely monitor social tensions amid ongoing economic grievances and public discontent.