To show support for female protestors in Iran, the daughter of a man who spent nearly five years in custody at Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison had her hair cut live on British television.
The daughter of Anoosheh Ashoori, Elika Ashoori, who was released in March together with Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, had her hair trimmed on ITV’s Lorraine on Thursday morning.
She buzzed her hair short to join the hundreds of Iranians who have come to the streets to protest the death of Mahsa Amini, 22, while she was being held captive. She had been imprisoned by Tehran’s morality police for “improperly” donning her headscarf.
Since Ms. Amini’s passing, numerous Iranian women have posted videos and images of themselves cutting their hair and removing their hijabs on social media.
Juliette Binoche and Marion Cotillard, both French actors, were among the famous people and public figures who shaved their hair in support.
Speaking on Lorraine, Ms Ashoori said: “I have brought a pair of scissors today to show my solidarity to my sisters in Iran and this pales to the bravery that they’re showing in the streets, risking death.
“So, I’m going to cut my hair as well, just to show that we are all behind you.”
As she cut the other side of her hair, she added: “This one is for what the European, US and UK governments need to do with their trade and deals with Iran.
“They need to stop and cut everything. Just like that.”
In response to the passing of Amini, Ms. Ashoori suggested that western governments put sanctions on Iranian government figures.
She said: “Travel bans, freeze their assets, do not let them come to European countries, do not trade with them.
“Because of sanctions on Russia, the governments have gone to Iran for oil and they hope that with the nuclear deal actually happening they would then have an oil supply for the winter.
“But this is putting a Band-Aid on a wound that needs surgery.”
She also called on the British public to show solidarity with Iranian women, saying: “People need to not normalise pain and suffering in the Middle East.
“People have become desensitised when they see news come from the Middle East.
“What if they were your sisters, your daughters, your mothers?”
