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JINA MAHSA AMINI
The face of Iran's protests. Her life, her dreams
and her death.
In memory of Jina 'Mahsa' Amini, the cornerstone of the 'Zan.
Zendagi. Azadi revolution.
16 February 2023 | By Gino d'Artali
And also
Read all about the assasination of the 22 year young Jhina Mahsa
Amini or Zhina Mahsa Amini (Kurdistan-Iran) and the start of the Zan,
Zendagi, Azadi (Women, life, freedom) revolution in Iran
2022
and the latest news about the 'Women Live Freedom' Revolution per month in 2023:
September 30 - 16
--
September 17 - 1
--
August 31 - 18 --
August 15 - 1--
July 31 - 16
--July 15 -1--June
30 - 15--June 15-1--May 31 -16--
May 15-1--April--March--Feb--Jan
And
For all topics below that may hopefully interest you click on the
image:
'BIOLOGICAL |
'IRANIAN JOURNALISTS |
'BLINDING |
all updates 27 June, 2023
<Persian social media is full of young people who say they were shot in the eye
by security forces>
Iranwire - July 17, 2023 - By AIDA GHAJAR
<<Blinding as a Weapon (47): Blinded Protester Tells Attacker, <I Forgive You>
As IranWire has reported, hundreds of Iranians have sustained severe eye
injuries after being hit by pellets, tear gas canisters, paintball bullets or
other projectiles used by security forces amid a bloody crackdown on mainly
peaceful demonstrations. Doctors say that, as of now, at least 580 protesters
have lost one or both eyes in Tehran and in Kurdistan alone. But the actual
numbers across the country are much higher. The report concluded that such
actions by the security forces could constitute a <crime against humanity,> as
defined by Article 7 of the Rome Statute.
....
In the series of reports <Blinding as a Weapon,> IranWire presents the victims'
stories told in their own words. Some have posted their stories, along with
their names and pictures, on social media. Others, whose real names shall not be
disclosed to protect their safety, have told their stories to IranWire, which
can make their identities and medical records available to international legal
authorities and the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human
rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
This is the story of Sepehr Khaleghi, a protester who lost an eye during a
protest. Despite all the physical and psychological suffering he went through,
this young man says: <If I were to encounter the assailant, I would embrace him
and say: 'I forgive you.'>
***
Imagine a hospital filled with protesters suffering from severe eye injuries.
They lie on their beds, enduring immense pain, shedding tears and bleeding,
while their relatives desperately rush around to save them. They anxiously await
the arrival of the doctor, hoping for reassurance that their loved ones haven't
lost their sight. Now, let's transport ourselves to the emergency room of Farabi
Hospital in Tehran. Sepehrn Khaleghi lies on a bed, his eyes and face covered in
blood. By his side, a girl who had lost one eye was having blood-soaked vomiting
caused by stress. Across from Sepehr's bed, a man with a bloodshot eye drifted
off to sleep. His young wife sits beside him, inconsolably weeping and
murmuring: <I wish I were in your place.> The girl was on her way back from work
when she encountered protests. Amidst the chaos her headscarf fell off and at
that moment two paintball bullets struck her eyes. Sepehr left his workplace
during a crowded street demonstration when an officer inside a van aimed at him.
The emergency department buzzes with noise. Tearful parents search for their
loved ones and stand by their sides amid fear that they could be arrested within
the confines of the hospital. In the examination room, a doctor is sitting and
calls in patients one by one. They take a seat in front of the doctor, and the
examination started.
Doctor: Do you see light?
Injured: No. Doctor: You're blind. Get up and go. Next!
Where was Sepehr
On November 15, 2022, Sepehr left his house at approximately 1 p.m., accompanied
by friends. Sepehr and his friends joined a group of around 10 to 15 girls who
were gathered opposite the main entrance of a shopping center and were chanting
slogans. Security forces arrived on motorcycles less than 15 minutes after the
small rally began and started firing paintball guns and tear gas canisters at
the protesters. Sepehr was hit by a canister. He could neither hear nor see
anything. One of his friends shouted his name, urging him to get up and run
because the agents were approaching.
While Sepehr was regaining his senses his friends grabbed him by the shoulders
before running through narrow alleys, yelling for someone to open the door of a
house.
Blood streamed from Sepehr's face.
Finally, a door swung open and the boys rushed inside. A woman inside fainted
upon seeing Sepehr. The young daughter of the family rushed toward the group and
asked: <What happened?> One of his comrades applied sterile gauze to one of
Sepehr's eyes, which was visibly protruding, exerting gentle pressure on it in
an attempt to put his eye back into its socket.
The Truth in the Mirror
The boys eventually managed to find a car to take Sepehr to hospital, while
blood continued to pour from his eyes. At the first hospital they reached, the
group informed the doctor that Sepehr sustained his injuries during a fight.
Sepehr had a piece of iron lodged in the eye, a broken eyebrow and a deformed
skull. After understanding the real cause of Sepehr's condition, the doctor
instructed the boys to take him elsewhere. Sepehr's family was still unaware of
the severity of his injuries. At that moment, the mother of one of his friends
arrived. Hospital security guards tried to prevent them from leaving, but the
mother's passionate pleas and the doctor's intervention created a diversion that
allowed Sepehr's friends to whisk him away.
Their destination was Farabi Hospital, which was filled with injured people and
was bustling with chaos. In front of Sepehr stood a mirror which showed him the
harsh truth - his eye was gone. Sepehr's parents arrived, and tears flowed
freely. Their beloved son, a symbol of the street unrest and the protesters'
suffering, lays on a hospital bed. He underwent his first surgery on the night
of November 16, but an infection developed in his eye after 20 days, forcing him
to seek treatment at a private clinic where he underwent another operation. The
third surgery, which took place in June, addressed the skull deformity caused by
the impact of the tear gas canister.
Mournings with one eye
The first image Sepehr shared on his Instagram page is a silhouette of himself
against a dark backdrop, without his eyes but with a smile on his face. If you
move to the other picture, his eyes are open, but the smile is gone. In the
caption accompanying the photo, Sepeh''s mother says that when she wakes up in
the morning she purposefully opens only one eye to symbolize the first image her
son sees upon awakening. The hashtag #azadi, meaning freedom, perhaps
encapsulates the essence of the message Sepehr intends to convey through his
photos. Undoubtedly, one day, the individual who took away his vision will come
across Sepehr's image and realize that blinding someone did not steal his smile
or extinguish his hope for freedom.
<We Must Not Allow Animosity to Take Root in Our Country
Sepehr Khaleghi, born in 1995, had a unique upbringing. As a child, he did not
want to attend school and instead aimed to enter the job market at an early age.
After finishing school, he ventured into the business world. After completing
his treatment and attempting to return to work in the financial sector, his
employers refused to continue their cooperation. Throughout his treatment,
Sepehr found solace in the unwavering support of his family and friends. His
mother, who had previously cared for her veteran husband, remained by her son's
bedside at night to administer eye drops and medications to the young man.
Living within such a family environment probably has shaped Sepehr into a
different individual. His friends recount he always expresses forgiveness for
his assailant. He would say, <Blood takes root. If I seek revenge, the assailant
and their family will suffer as well. If I were to encounter the assailant, I
would embrace him and say: 'I forgive you.' We must not allow animosity to take
root in our country.>
<Revenge, execution, and murder only breed hatred and malice. We need to
eradicate these sentiments from our society to truly understand the essence of
humanity. Perhaps if the assailants witness love, they will realize the gravity
of their mistake.> >>
Read more here:
https://iranwire.com/en/blinding-as-a-weapon/118581-blinding-as-a-weapon-47-blinded-protester-tells-attacker-i-forgive-you/
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