On January 8, 2020, a Ukrainian passenger plane was shot down by missiles from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) just six minutes after taking off from Tehran’s airport, killing all 176 innocent passengers on board. Among the victims were 28 women who held high academic positions. At least 11 of the women who perished in this tragic incident were students from Tehran University, Sharif University of Technology, and Iran University of Science and Technology. Additionally, several female doctors and professors from prestigious universities were among the deceased.
The regime initially denied responsibility for downing of the Ukrainian passenger plane, but after two to three days of denial, it admitted that the plane was shot down due to human error. This acknowledgment ignited another explosion of public dissatisfaction.
In the ensuing widespread protests against the downing of the Ukrainian passenger plane, people across 19 provinces of Iran demanded regime change. In Tehran, gatherings primarily took place in front of Amir Kabir University and other universities in the capital. The prominent role of courageous Iranian women was a significant and influential aspect of these demonstrations.
For four consecutive days, Iranian women and youth shook the regime with slogans like “Supreme Leader, resign, resign” and “The IRGC commits crimes, the Leader supports it.” On the fifth day, during the funerals of the victims, the protests continued. Brave Iranian women turned the suppression by security forces into a scene of resistance against them.
The Guardian reported on the role of women in these protests, quoting a witness who said that groups, many led by women, gathered on Sunday evening in Tehran’s Azadi Square. They covered their faces with scarves and masks and confronted riot police and plainclothes agents.
During these January 2020 protests against the downing of the Ukrainian passenger plane, at least 300 people, including a significant number of women, were arrested. Amnesty International, in a report dated January 15, 2020, stated: “The organization has received shocking allegations of sexual violence against at least one woman.” Amnesty International emphasized: “Iranian security forces have once again launched a shameful assault on the rights of the Iranian people to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, resorting to unlawful and brutal methods.”
The Iranian women’s fearless leadership and participation in these protests against the regime’s crimes highlighted their critical role in the ongoing struggle for justice and freedom in Iran.