Crackdown in Iran intensifies as first anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death approaches

Almost a year after the murder of Mahsa Amini and the mass protests that erupted across the country in reaction to her death, the families of the victims of the protests have come under increasing pressure from the security and judicial authorities. Over the past week, dozens of family members who lost loved ones during the protests have been detained or summoned for questioning by security forces, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has also recently released a new report which reveals that the Iranian authorities have arrested at least a dozen activists in the run-up to the anniversary of the nationwide protests. HRW senior Iran researcher Tara Sepehri Far said in a statement that Iranian authorities are aiming to suppress public discontent with the arbitrary arrest of a dozen activists, ongoing impunity and rights violations. In addition, HRANA stressed that ahead of the anniversary, the Iranian authorities have warned families of those killed in protests across the country not to organize memorials for their loved ones.

HRANA stated that many families of those killed in protests across the country have been detained in their homes. There is no information as to where some of the 9 detainees, including a minor, have been taken. The minor, 15-year-old Faramarz Abil, was a relative of one of the victims. Abil was reportedly detained by security forces in Razavi Khorasan Province. His brother Esmaeil Abil was among the people killed in the 2022 Zahedan massacre, commonly referred to as Bloody Friday. Sepehri Far called on UN member states in dialogue with the Iranian authorities to put the plight of human rights defenders at the center of their engagement.