Zahra Saeedianjoo at the grave of her brother Milad Saeedianjoo

Threats, Attacks On Families Of Slain Iranian Activists Continue

Sunday, 10/22/2023

More than one year since the start of the Women, Life, Freedom protests, the families of murdered Iranian activists continue to face intense pressure and threats from state security.

On Sunday, relatives of Milad Saeedianjoo and Sepehr Azami, both murdered during the protests in the last year, were attacked and threatened in two separate incidents.

Fatemeh Heydari, the sister of the late protester Javad Heydari, said on X, "Zahra Saeedianjoo is threatened with death by several unidentified motorcyclists on the streets today."

She also mentioned that after her release from prison, Saeedianjoo was then fired from her job at Mofid and Kian Children's Hospitals in Tehran, indicating state interference to crush the families both socially and economically.

The pressure on the families of slain activists has intensified in recent months, particularly in September, around the anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death. Dozens of families have faced detention or summoning by security forces, while attempts to hold commemoration ceremonies have been thwarted.

The security apparatus of the Islamic Republic has a long history of harassing, detaining, and imprisoning the families of political prisoners who have been executed or protesters who have been killed. The pattern dates back to the 1980s and continues into the present day, with families of activists experiencing ongoing harassment, threats, detention, and imprisonment.

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