Kurdish politicians Demirtaş, Mızraklı shave heads in support of protests at death of Mahsa Amini

Jailed former HDP co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş and dismissed mayor Selçuk Mızraklı have shaved their heads in support of the protests that broke out after the murder of Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini by morality police in Tehran.

Duvar English  

Jailed former Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş and Selçuk Mızraklı, the dismissed mayor of the Kurdish-majority province of Diyarbakır, have shaded their heads, in support of the protests against the brutal murder of Kurdish woman Masha Amini by the morality police in Iran.

Demirtaş’s wife Başak Demirtaş announced the two politicians’ action on social media. She also shared a letter penned by Demirtaş saluting the protestors in Iran.

“At the deepest depth of our hearts, we feel Mahsa Amini’s pain who was massacred by Iranian morality police just because her hair strand was seen. Resisting oppression and persecution is the responsibility of women. To support the struggle of equality and freedom pioneered by women and to indicate that we stand by the people in Iran who are resisting for freedom, I and my cell friend Dr. Selçuk Mızraklı shaved our heads today,” Demirtaş wrote in his letter.

“All of the systems of oppression and tyranny will be sooner or later demolished. I salute those resisting. I wish God’s mercy upon Mahsa Amini, wish patience to her family and offer my condolences to her family and our people, and convey our feelings of solidarity.”

The 22-year-old Amini died last week after being arrested by Iran's morality police for allegedly wearing a headscarf in an "improper" way. Since then, Iranian women have been organizing protests across the country.

Also, a protest was held outside the Iranian consulate in Istanbul on Sept. 21, with demonstrators holding Amini’s portraits.