clear

Creating new perspectives since 2009

Belgium Foreign Minister cuts hair in Parliament in support of Iranian women

October 7, 2022 at 5:03 pm

Darya Safai and Foreign minister Hadja Lahbib cuting some of her hair as protest against events in Iran during a plenary session of the Chamber at the Federal Parliament in Brussels, Thursday 06 October 2022 [NICOLAS MAETERLINCK/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images]

Belgium’s Foreign Minister and two other lawmakers cut their hair in Parliament, in solidarity with anti-government demonstrations in Iran triggered by the death in police custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, Reuters reports.

Hadja Lahbib snipped off a lock of her hair on Thursday, following the example of deputy, Darya Safai.

Iranian-born Safai had taken scissors to hers – to applause from other lawmakers – after asking the Minister about Belgium’s response to a crackdown on widespread protests inside Iran.

A third lawmaker, Goedele Liekens, also cut her hair.

Lahbib, born in Belgium of Algerian parents, told Parliament that her government would ask the European Union to impose sanctions against architects of the crackdown when the bloc’s foreign ministers meet later this month.

Iran’s clerical rulers have been battling to contain the most widespread unrest in years since Amini’s death, and protests have spread to many major cities abroad, including London, Paris, Rome and Madrid.

On Wednesday, a Swedish member of the European Parliament, Abir Al-Sahlani, cut off part of her hair during a speech at the EU assembly.

READ: Iran probe finds Mahsa Amini died of illness