Iran's Security Forces Detain Relative Ahead of Anniversary, Fueling Concerns of Human Rights Violations

Iran’s security forces have detained a relative of a Kurdish Iranian woman, Safa Aeli, just days before the anniversary of her death in the custody of the morality police. A source close to the family revealed that Aeli was arrested at his home, with security forces searching his car and house without a court order. They also confiscated his passport and other documents. This development comes as Iran’s clerical rulers increase their clamp down on dissent, aiming to deter any gatherings on Mahsa Amini’s death anniversary on September 16.

The anti-government protests that followed Amini's death marked the biggest show of opposition to Iran's authorities in years, with many calling for an end to the decades-long Islamic clerical rule. Rights groups have reported over 500 deaths, including 71 minors, and thousands of arrests during the unrest. In recent weeks, security forces have been pressuring the families of protesters killed in the protests, summoning, threatening, and arresting them to discourage any form of gathering to mark Amini's anniversary.

Amnesty International has accused Iranian authorities of subjecting the victims' families to arbitrary arrest and detention, imposing restrictive measures on peaceful gatherings at grave sites, and destroying victims' gravestones. As a result, numerous journalists, lawyers, activists, students, academics, ethnic minorities, artists, public figures, and family members of protesters have been targeted with arrests, summonses, threats, or dismissals. One notable case pertains to Saleh Nikbakht, the lawyer for Amini’s family, who is facing charges of “propaganda against the system."

If convicted, Nikbakht could face a jail sentence ranging from one to three years. Iranian authorities have been attributing the unrest to foreign-backed agents seeking to destabilize the country, specifically pointing fingers at the United States and Israel. The intensified crackdown by Iran's security forces and the targeting of individuals associated with the anti-government protests raise concerns about the state of human rights in the Islamic Republic. With the anniversary of Amini's death approaching, observers fear that the authorities will continue to suppress any form of dissent, potentially leading to further violations of civil liberties and exacerbating tensions within the country. The Iranian judiciary has, thus far, not responded to Reuters' request for comment on the recent developments.