Death of Mahsa Amini has sparked concern among western Victoria's Iranian community

While the exact cause of Mahsa Amini's death has yet to be determined, a few witnesses had reported she was beaten to death in a van after violating the Islamic nation's strict hijab law by the morality police on September 13.

Conversely, Iranian police have said Amini's death was caused due to a sudden heart attack. Amini's family have not accepted this reasoning.

This has consequently resulted in an investigation by the government into the Kurd's death.

Western Victorian-Iranian woman, Gelareh, who has a strong affinity to the Middle-Eastern nation, said Amini's death was particularly disturbing considering, in her opinion, she was abiding by the country's law.

"The published photos from the day of Mahsa's arrest are shocking. She's wearing a very loose and long dress, with only a small amount of hair showing from under her scarf," Gelareh said.

"The actions of the morality police is incredibly vicious.

"As a woman and a human, it is difficult to imagine your life being ended in such an unfair and brutal way."

Similarly, Ballarat-based Iranian-Australian human rights and political activist Ali Bakhtiarvandi said upon seeing Amini's image he did not feel anything was wrong with her attire.

"When I saw the picture on TV in Australia, and also the film I received from Iran, with my connection back in Iran, I couldn't see anything wrong with what she was wearing," Mr Bakhtiarvandi said.

Additionally, he believed the Iranian police's account of Amini's cause of death was false.

"Her (Amini's) family said she had no health issues or any medical problems before the police approached her; she was a healthy girl," Mr Bakhtiarvandi said.

"Witnesses say she was bashed in a police car to the point where she needed to be hospitalised but by the time the hospital arrived, which took about more than half an hour to arrive, she was a dead body.

"She passed away already but the government couldn't say it."

Gelareh said the eruptions of protests in Iran and around the world, including many in Melbourne, were not solely based around mandatory hijab laws, but were more so about granting Iranian citizens personal autonomy.

"As women, we face many challenges, it doesn't matter where we are, but these challenges are extreme in Iran.

"Women's rights are severely restricted. Females can not exit the country (Iran) without their father's or husband's permission, they cannot sing as a soloist in front of a mixed audience, they must wear hijab in all public places.

"But now Iranian women are demanding freedom. Iranian women have fought for their rights for many years, but now, finally, they have Iranian men standing shoulder to shoulder demanding justice and the right to live a normal and peaceful life.

"All Iranians are sick of the fear, they are sick of the lies and the brutal treatment of Iranian people.

"The current movement is not an anti-hijab or anti-religious movement. It is a protest against forced and compulsory ways of living, it is a protest about freedom. Women should be allowed to decide for themselves."

Mr Bakhtiarvandi said an abolishment of the nation as an Islamic republic, which came to fruition in 1979, was the first step forward to improving outcomes for Iran's citizens.

"As an Iranian and as a political activist having lived in Iran, the (Islamic) regime controls everything not the government," he said.

"This regime is guilty of violating basic human rights in Iran not only for Mahsa.

"In these past 13 days of demonstrations in Iran they have shot dead girls as young as ten and 12 on the street; which regime, what police force does this to their own people?"

For those seeking to support Iranians, Gelareh said the best course of action was to amplify the voices of Iranian citizens in Iran and abroad.

"Iranians need the world's attention right now. They need to see the world paying attention in order to fuel their hope and momentum through this movement. Without that attention, this movement risks dying out with devastating losses like Mahsa Amini becoming forgotten," she said.

"Since last week, access to the internet for all Iranians inside Iran has been restricted. These restrictions are so broad that even using an Iranian phone number outside Iran is restricted.

"Iranians invite all citizens of the world to stand for freedom and justice, to support this movement in any way that applies to their lives. That could be sharing content on social media, creating pieces of art, going to protests, contacting local members of the government and asking for their support, or educating ourselves and those around us.

"For the sake of hope, we need to stand together for a better world."

Similarly, Mr Bakhtiarvandi encouraged all Australians to attend protests to reinforce their solidarity with Iranian people.

"Iranian people want to know they are not alone and they're not fighting for nothing," he said.

"We are not just fighting for justice for Mahsa Amini; we are fighting for justice for the hundreds of thousands of people who have been killed by this regime since 1979."

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Mr Bakhtiarvandi said more action by the Australian government was needed to address the atrocities occurring in Iran including removing the Australian Iranian embassy in Canberra.

"We need the Australian government to tell the Iranian embassy that it is time for them to leave as soon as possible because of what they're doing in Iran," he said.

"The Australian government needs to take a stand to say that they are not going to deal with a country who is committing flagrant violations of basic human rights.

"They need to show the Iranian people they are a good government and not the Iranian regime."

Protests supporting the fight for freedom in Iran will be held at Federation Square on Thursday at 6pm and Saturday from 2pm.

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