Jerome Laxale (Bennelong, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'd like to use this time today as an opportunity to voice the pleas and protests from members of the local Iranian community in my electorate of Bennelong. Following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini whilst in the custody of morality police, Iranian women—alongside men, the young, the elderly and those fed up with oppressive rules and a battered economy—have faced bullets, tear gas and arrests in the last fortnight, since protests began.

Here are the facts as we know them. Mahsa Amini was a 22-year-old woman who lived in the Kurdish region of Iran and was visiting the capital, Tehran, with her family. The notorious morality police approached her, claiming her head scarf was not appropriately covering her hair, and she was taken from her family to an education centre to be taught a lesson in morality. Mahsa Amini, a woman who, her father swears, had no existing conditions, collapsed at the centre and was taken to hospital in a coma. Three days later she died. Iran is claiming she died of a heart attack.

The videos that have since been released, exposing the way the morality police drag women into their vans, raises very serious questions. Quite frankly, the women of Iran and, with them, an equal number of men have had enough. For the last fortnight, they and those across the world have let it be known. Iran is in turmoil; indeed, Iranian women are in turmoil; and the next generation of Iranian students, workers, farmers, scholars and journalists are also in turmoil.

For women, simply letting their hair blow in the wind is a crime. For students, studying anything that looks favourably upon the West or pre-revolution Iran is a crime. And, for journalists, reporting news of the growing unrest is a crime. In fact, in the last 48 hours, more than 20 journalists have been arrested. So far, at least 41 people have died. The actual number is most likely higher; however, large internet blackouts are making it challenging for Iranians to communicate to one another and to the outside world. This is one of the largest protests in Iran's history. All protest comes at an enormous personal risk to Iranians, but these latest protesters have done some unusually brave things. The courage they have shown is unprecedented.

On the other side of the world in my electorate of Bennelong, a culturally rich electorate with a strong, vibrant Iranian community, many are kept awake with fears for their families, their friends and what they call their vatan, the Iranian word for homeland. For those in my community who may be suffering right now, I want to let you know that the Labor government is listening. Yesterday the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Wong, and the Minister for Women, Senator Gallagher, issued a statement condemning the violent crack down in Iran:

The Australian Government condemns the deadly and disproportionate use of force against protesters in Iran, following the tragic death of 22-year-old woman Mahsa Amini.

We have raised concerns into the circumstances surrounding her death in custody with the Iranian Embassy in Canberra.

Australia supports calls led by the Acting UN High Commissioner for Human Rights for a prompt, impartial investigation into Ms Amini's death by an independent body, which ensures her family has access to truth and justice, with those responsible held to account.

We are alarmed by reports that dozens of people have been killed and many more injured, including teenagers, during heavy-handed measures Iranian authorities have implemented to crack-down on ongoing protests.

Australia supports the right of Iranian people to protest peacefully and calls on the Iranian authorities to exercise restraint in response to ongoing demonstrations.

Reports of internet restrictions are also deeply troubling, and suggest an effort to stifle freedom of expression.

Australia regularly raises Iran's significant discrimination against women and human rights violations with officials in both Teheran and Canberra, as well as in multilateral fora.

Australia stands with Iranian women and girls in their struggle for equality and empowerment and we call on Iran to cease its oppression of women. Australia is committed to promoting gender equality and women's human rights, empowerment and ending violence against women and girls world wide.

I have received letters, emails and social media messages that are clouded in desperation, many asking for hope, all asking for the stories of Iranians to be told by those who can. Today I say to those in my electorate: I can and will tell those stories in this place.

I stand for my local Iranian community in Bennelong, with their fear, their anger and their dismay. I use my position and my time here today to speak for them, to ensure their message, and that of their people families, is heard.