Paris:
The family of Mahsa Amini, the Iranian Kurdish woman who died in custody, will not be allowed to travel to France to receive a posthumously awarded top rights prize, their lawyer said on Saturday.
Amini died on September 16, 2022 at the age of 22, while being held by Iranian religious police for allegedly violating the Islamic Republic's strict dress code for women.
Her family and supporters say she was murdered. Iranian authorities claim she died in custody from a previously undisclosed medical condition.
In October, the European Union awarded its highest human rights award, the Sakharov Prize, to her and the global movement that sparked her death.
On Saturday, her family's lawyer in France, Chirinne Ardakani, told AFP that Amini's parents and brother had been “banned from boarding the flight that would take them to France for the Sakharov Prize presentation.”
She said the family had been banned from leaving Iran despite having valid visas and had their passports confiscated.
Ardakani said Iranian authorities have “never been more mobilized to prevent the victims' families from speaking to the international community.”
The death of Mahsa Amini sparked mass protests in Iran.
It also spawned a global movement known as “Woman, Life, Freedom,” which called for an end to Iran's imposition of the headscarf on all women and an end to the Muslim cleric-led government in Tehran.
Iranian security forces have cracked down on protests at home, killing hundreds and executing dozens for allegedly taking part in what officials have called “riots.”
The 'Woman, Life, Freedom' campaign continues in cities around the world, with regular demonstrations holding up Amini's photo.
The Sakharov Prize, which carries a prize of EUR 50,000, was due to be presented at a ceremony in the European Parliament on December 13.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)