Anniversary of Nika Shakeri Canceled Under Security Pressures; Nika's Mother: We Cannot Stand Against Oppression and Injustice Empty-Handed

Following government pressures on Nika Shakeri's family, which had previously been reported by Nika's sister, the ceremony for her anniversary, scheduled to be held at her grave in Hayat al-Ghayb, Lorestan, has been canceled. Nika Shakeri's mother, Nasrin Shakeri, wrote on Instagram on Wednesday, September 20: "The decision was to hold a memorial for my dear child Nika on the first anniversary of her death; however, considering the problems that have arisen and, of course, that I do not want to harm other dear and honorable compatriots who intend to attend this ceremony, I am forced to cancel it." Nasrin Shakeri continued: "The reality is that we, the Iranian people, cannot stand against the oppression and injustice of the ruling power empty-handed and defenseless. Here, every crime, atrocity, and inappropriate behavior is justified, except for humanity, truth-telling, and protesting against oppression, which are punished with death, rape, imprisonment, disappearance, and the worst possible consequences. Therefore, I would like to express my utmost gratitude and thanks to all the distinguished individuals who intended to attend this ceremony and apologize for its cancellation." Nika Shakeri's mother concluded: "God willing, at a more appropriate time, we will prove that we are a great nation and we will take back Iran." Aida Shakeri, Nika's sister, wrote on her Instagram page on Tuesday, September 19: "Since last week, the security atmosphere has engulfed the entire Hayat al-Ghayb area; several compatriots who intended to attend Nika's anniversary ceremony have been summoned, arrested, and threatened, but now they have allowed us to hold the ceremony on September 30." She continued: "They have conditioned the holding of the ceremony on the absence of violence, while the violence was entirely from the government and military forces during the burial and fortieth ceremonies, not from the people; in fact, we are the ones who beg them not to create disturbances for the people and not to resort to violence." Nika Shakeri, a teenage protester, was killed just days before her 17th birthday during the suppression of nationwide protests in 2022 in Tehran. Graffiti in memory of Nika Shakeri appeared on the first anniversary of her death during protests. Another video of Nika Shakeri and her burning of a headscarf before her death during protests. Aida expressed her longing for Nika by sharing a video of playing in the snow with her. A video of Nika Shakeri reading a story when she was a child was also released. Nasrin Shakeri: Let us turn our pains into motivation to build a prosperous and free Iran. The Ghadar House, a cafe where Nika Shakeri worked, is closing down.