Arrest of a Woman in Tabriz After Photographing the Grave of Aylahr Haghi, Deceased Protester

Iranian news agencies reported the arrest of a woman in Tabriz on charges of 'planning to create insecurity and chaos,' identifying her as the operator of 'one of the royalist channels' on social media. This comes despite claims by Islamic Republic officials over the past four decades that the royalist discourse in Iran has lost its supporters. The Fars news agency, close to security institutions, reported on Thursday, September 14, that after a woman photographed the birthday ceremony of Aylahr Haghi at the grave of this deceased protester, special forces searched her vehicle and discovered 'a large number of handwritten flyers.' The report noted that after inspecting the woman's mobile phone, it was revealed that she was the operator of one of the popular royalist channels on social media. Critics of the Islamic Republic have repeatedly been arrested and imprisoned on security charges. Security institutions accuse these individuals of 'planning to create insecurity and gatherings' without providing any evidence. Human rights defenders and international officials have repeatedly criticized the Iranian government for suppressing civil liberties and freedom of expression. There has been no mention of the identity of the arrested woman, the name of the social media page she managed, or the number of her followers, and no news has been published about her place of detention. In a brief report published by Fars about the inspection of this woman's vehicle and her arrest by the special forces, the faces of individuals and the contents of the inspected trunk are not identifiable. Aylahr Haghi's father, on September 11, posted on Instagram to commemorate his daughter's 24th birthday, stating that their grief is fresh and becomes more intense each day. Based on reports circulated on social media, security agents were stationed around her grave to prevent the ceremony from taking place on the eve of Aylahr Haghi's birthday. Aylahr Haghi, a medical student, was killed on November 16 last year during nationwide protests in Tabriz. In the nationwide protests last year, which were considered one of the most serious challenges against the Islamic Republic, over five hundred people were killed, hundreds were injured, and at least twenty thousand were arrested. There has been a significant presence of repressive forces in Saqqez ahead of the anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death, with increased pressures leading to the arrest of five citizens in Tehran and Tabriz. Narges Mohammadi stated that the Islamic Republic is facing 'misery, disgust, and fearful instability.' An Associated Press report highlighted the suppression of universities and the security atmosphere in Iran on the first anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death.