A tribute to Marjane Satrapi

It’s a very rare occasion when we devote our pages to reporting on a death. However, the passing of the Franco-Iranian artist, comic book author, and filmmaker Marjane Satrapi on 4 June at the age of 56 is an exception. Satrapi’s far-reaching contributions to culture and her commitment to raising awareness of the plight of women in Iran have inspired us to choose the work of an Iranian artist to pay tribute.

Satrapi, who gained international fame through her works Persepolis, Chicken with Plums, and Embroideries, was one of the most prominent voices of the Iranian diaspora in France – where she sought refuge in 1994 – and around the world. An opponent of the regime in Tehran, like many other Iranians in Europe she joined the Woman, Life, Freedom movement following the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old student killed by Iran’s morality police in 2022. 

Since then, Iran has descended further into brutality. In the wake of the uprisings in late 2025 and early 2026, the mullahs’ regime has in fact stepped up arbitrary detentions – particularly of minors – and executions. According to some independent sources, more than 30,000 people have died, though this figure remains difficult to confirm. Cornered by the war with Israel and the United States, as well as an economic crisis, Iran is turning to a military apparatus whose primary victims are the country’s own people, starting with women.