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On September 16, 2022, 22 year-old Mahsa Amini was murdered while in custody of the Iranian regime’s morality police. After she was beaten to death, anti-regime protests erupted in Iran. Since the start of the protests, more than 500 people have been killed. 

U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Alex Padilla (D-CA) issued a statement commemorating the first anniversary of Masha Amini’s passing. 

• “One year ago, Mahsa Amini tragically died at the hands of the regime in Tehran, igniting a wave of courageous protests across Iran. Her death, and the bravery and strength of the Iranian women fighting for their basic freedoms, must not be in vain. We must do our part to hold the Ayatollah and other Iranian leaders accountable for their violence against civilians and the regime’s ongoing wave of repression, censorship, and human rights abuses against its people. We urge the Senate to pass our bipartisan MAHSA Act, which would hold the dictatorship in Iran accountable for Mahsa Amini’s death as well as the countless human rights violations the brutal regime is responsible for.” 

Flashback … In July 2023, Rubio and Padilla introduced the Mahsa Amini Human Rights and Security Accountability (MAHSA) Act, which would impose economic and visa sanctions on the leadership of the Iranian regime. On September 12, 2023, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the MAHSA Act by a vote of 410-3.