for that is what it was

[GoodTaste]

September 16, 2022: Mahsa Amini died in Kasra Hospital, Iran, after being arrested, tortured, and beaten for allegedly breaking the Iranian Government's strict mandatory hijab law. She was 22 years old and her murder, for that is what it was, triggered unprecedented nationwide protests, which continue in more muted forms to this day.

Source: The Lancet
Offline: Mahsa Amini—never forget
Richard Horton

What does "for that is what it was" mean? Does it mean "because that was/is the cruel reality in Iran"?

 

[Tarheel]

It means it was a murder.

That is what it was - it was a murder.

 

[jutfrank]

The speaker is saying that it cannot be claimed that it was not murder.

 

[probus]

"For" is used there as a synonym for because.