President Donald Trump espoused his support Sunday for the Iranian people protesting the death last month of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini.
“As we speak, the people of Iran are bravely protesting against their corrupt and brutal regime, courageously facing down violence, persecution, jail, torture, and even death, and we are with you all,” Trump said at a Mesa, Arizona, Save America rally.
The president’s remarks came amid a global uproar over Amini’s death, which many have pointed to as an example of the brutality of the Iranian regime.
Per TIME, Amini died Sept. 16 in the custody of Iran’s morality police after being arrested for allegedly wearing her headscarf too loosely. Following the young woman’s death, protests erupted across the country and were met with extreme force from the government, resulting in violence, arrests, and even deaths.
“I want you to know that on behalf of everybody here, and everybody, period, we are with [the protesters],” Trump added at his Sunday rally.
In recent months, Americans have become increasingly concerned over their own government’s unfair treatment of political dissidents, particularly in the wake of Jan. 6, 2021.
As Democrats continue to paint all those who were present at the U.S. Capitol that day as violent extremists, reports of inhumane treatment of those arrested that day have worried many that the government is punishing its political opponents.
For his part, President Trump has promised to pardon those Jan. 6 prisoners who have been treated unjustly should he run for and win the presidency again.
“If I run and if I win, we will treat those people from Jan. 6 fairly,” he said in January. “We will treat them fairly. And if it requires pardons, we will give them pardons. Because they are being treated so unfairly.”