Thousands marched through Sydney streets on December 10 (International Human Rights Day) demanding democracy in Iran and justice for Jina Mahsa Amini and the growing number of democracy protesters who have been killed, arrested and tortured by the dictatorial regime in Iran.
On December 8, Mohsen Shekari became the first democracy protester to be executed. At least 475 protesters have been killed by security forces and 18,240 others have been detained, according to the Human Rights Activists' News Agency (HRANA).
“Women, Life, Freedom!”, the now iconic slogan of this movement sweeping Iran, resounded in Persian, Kurdish and English all along the march, which stretched for more than a kilometre.
Foreign minister Penny Wong announced on the same day that sanctions were being imposed by the Australian government on 13 individuals and two entities for "egregious human rights violations and abuses".
Among those sanctioned were Iranian paramilitary group the Basij Resistance Force and six individuals who participated in the bloody crackdown on protests following the brutal state murder of Jina Mahsa Amini by Iran's morality police.