What Can I Do to Support the Protesters and Human Rights in Iran?
Since anti-state protests broke out across Iran in September 2022, following the killing in state custody of 22-year-old Jina Mahsa Amini, hundreds of peaceful protesters have been killed by state security forces and thousands arrested.Coordinated and sustained citizen action has been effective in curtailing state abuses in many instances around the world. If citizens worldwide speak out, the government of Iran will know the world is watching and condemning its actions.
Here are steps you can take to help:
Donate
The group "Mahsa Medical" or "Medical Alliance for Health Services" is a global network composed of volunteers from various medical fields, dentistry, and mental health. It provides free medical services to the victims and injured individuals of recent protests. This newly established group, with more than two hundred members from the health sector in America, Canada, and Europe, is ready to offer counseling and free assistance to those who have been injured during the protests of the past six months. Individuals who have lost their eyesight due to the oppressive shooting aftermath or schoolgirls who have been poisoned in recent weeks can seek counseling and necessary assistance by contacting "Mahsa Medical." You can support their work here.
Sign a petition
You can also sign Amnesty International’s ongoing petition, which seeks to tackle the ongoing impunity in Iran. Petitioners are asking for the creation of an independent United Nations mechanism that will investigate and hold Iranian officials accountable for their actions. Another petition by Change.org is urging leaders of democratic countries to act. Share the petition with others in your network to collect more signatures. Petitions can prompt government action. For example, in the United Kingdom, any public petition submitted to the government with at least 10,000 signatories must be responded to by the government. If a petition gets 100,000 signatures then it will be considered for debate in Parliament,you can sign it here.
Stay informed and use your political power
Supporters across the United States have been gathering for demonstrations in cities like Los Angeles and New York. You can join your town or state’s local protest to bring greater attention to the cause. Following social media accounts to stay up to date on upcoming demonstrations can help. Middle East Matters on Instagram has been strictly posting where and when protests in support of Iran are being held globally. If you can’t attend a protest yourself, spreading the message by sharing or sending posts can help spread the word. U.S. supporters can also ask their congressmen to vocalize their support of the Iranian protests. Citizens can contact their representatives through a written email, or by calling their local elected official’s office. You can find out who your elected officials are by visiting house.gov/representatives and senate.gov. If you live in the U.K., you can also write to your member of parliament, which you can find by entering your postcode here.
Use social media to spread awareness of the human rights crisis in Iran
Over the past four decades, Iranians have resisted the government but never before in the unity and numbers we see today. It has become a global movement because of the diaspora of Iranians who now live all around the world. Everywhere from London to Los Angeles, Iranians are amplifying the voices of their brothers and sisters in their homeland. Where major news outlets have failed to report on this movement, social media has become an important tool for spreading awareness of the issues Iranians face and bringing to light their government’s severe human rights violations. Public pressure and social media advocacy works. While the regime uses the media as a tool of oppression, the Iranian diaspora uses it to expose the country’s human rights violations and keep the movement’s momentum around the world.