'Women, Life, Freedom': MEP Cuts Hair in Stand With Iranian Protesters

A Swedish MEP cut her hair at the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Tuesday, October 4, in support of the ongoing protests in Iran sparked by the death in police custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini.

“Until the women of Iran are free, we are going to stand with you,” Sweden’s Abir Al-Sahlani said as she cut a lock of her hair. “Women, life, freedom!”

Iran Human Rights, a Norway-based group, has estimated that at least 154 people have been killed in Iran since the unrest over Amini’s death began in mid-September. Credit: European Parliament via Storyful

Video transcript

- So Hani is next.

- Three weeks of continuous courage shown by the women in Iran. Persian, Azeri, Kurdish women are paying the ultimate price for freedom, their lives. A courage that has not been met by you, Mr. Borrell, when you didn't take the opportunity during the General Assembly in the UN and took a stand for the women in Iran.

Enough for the press releases now. Enough for the mumbling. It's time to speak out. It's time to act. The hands of the regime of the mullahs in Iran is stained with blood. Neither history, nor Allah, or God Almighty will forgive you for the crimes against humanity that you are committing against your own citizens.

With the peoples and the citizens of the EU, demand the unconditional and immediate stop of all the violence against the women and men in Iran. Until Iran is free, our fury will be bigger than the oppressors. Until the women of Iran are free, we are going to stand with you. [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH] Women, life, freedom.

- That's [INAUDIBLE] time. [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]

INTERPRETER: Thank you very much. This is a difficult debate. And it's quite hard to break off speakers when they come to their minute-- or a minute and a half speaking time. It's a very emotional, difficult--