Time magazine named the women of Iran its 2022 “Heroes of the Year” on Wednesday, December 7, recognizing their fight for freedom from state restrictions.

Iran has been seeing weeks of protests against strict Islamic regulations, triggered by the death of Kurdish Iranian woman Mahsa Amini, who was detained for defying hijab rules, last September. Hundreds have been killed in the unrest.

“Younger women are now in the streets. The movement they’re leading is educated, liberal, secular, raised on higher expectations, and desperate for normality: college and foreign travel, decent jobs, rule of law, access to the Apple Store, a meaningful role in politics, the freedom to say and wear whatever,” Azadeh Moaveni said, writing for Time.

“When a generation’s aspirations for freedom appear tantalizingly within reach, the more humiliating the remaining restrictions seem, and the less daunting the final stretch of resistance feels,” the magazine added.

On Tuesday, Iran’s elite force Revolutionary Guards called on the country’s judiciary to “not show mercy to rioters, thugs and terrorists.” The following day, Badri Hosseini Khamenei, the sister of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, condemned his crackdown on the protests. – Rappler.com