Gohar Eshghi's Residence Surrounded; Security Forces Prevent Her Sit-in at UN Office

The account attributed to Gohar Eshghi, a civil activist, reported on social media platform X on Monday, October 2, that the security forces of the Islamic Republic have surrounded her residence and are controlling all movement. The post stated that since the evening of Sunday, October 1, "agents of the oppressive regime have surrounded the area by establishing themselves in the alleys and streets around her house," and have completely cut off telephone and mobile communications, depriving her of any contact with the outside world, which has caused her "severe psychological pressure leading to a drop in her blood pressure." According to the report, attempts by Sahar Beheshti to contact her mother were unsuccessful. This occurred while Gohar Eshghi intended to go to Tehran, but "the regime's security forces prevented her, and due to anxiety from the security situation, she again suffered from dizziness and a further drop in blood pressure." Gohar Eshghi is the mother of Sattar Beheshti, a blogger and worker who was killed in Evin Prison in November 2012. The account continued that one of Gohar Eshghi's relatives, at the request of Sahar Beheshti, went to her house to inquire about her condition and found that "the situation in the area was completely abnormal and under the control of security forces." It was decided that "the mother would be transferred to her daughter's house and placed under care, during which they noticed suspicious vehicles following them that accompanied the car carrying the mother to Sahar's house." After that, the neighborhood where Sahar Beheshti's house is located was "put under control, and all movement was monitored by the regime's security forces." The account attributed to Gohar Eshghi noted that her message "is to continue the protest sit-in in various parts of the world and to persevere in the path of freeing all political prisoners, regardless of personal beliefs and factional interests," and she "emphasizes that in this path, individuals must set aside personal interests and fears of paying any price for the freedom of the country." Previously, following the publication of Gohar Eshghi's announcement of her intention to sit in front of the United Nations office in Tehran, Sahar Beheshti reported on Sunday that her mother had gone on hunger strike in support of Sattar Beheshti's cause and in support of imprisoned plaintiffs in the Islamic Republic, stating that she had been threatened by the government. Last week, in her first video message, Gohar Eshghi stated that if the mother of Shahryar Mohammadi, one of the victims of the nationwide protests of 2022, is not released, she will go on hunger strike in front of the United Nations office in Tehran as a sign of protest. On Sunday, the mother of Sattar Beheshti reiterated her decision to go on hunger strike in a video message, stating that if the forces of Ali Khamenei's government prevent her, she will strike in front of Imamzadeh Saleh and welcomes anyone who joins her. Late on Sunday, Sahar Beheshti wrote on Instagram, "My mother, Gohar Eshghi, has declared a hunger strike with her own thoughts and beliefs. Since the day Sattar was killed, my mother has never found peace, especially when she sees news of the dead, prisoners, and the painful conditions of workers' lives." In her Instagram post, she added, "I told her not to do this, but she reacted harshly to me. Now her hunger strike news has been spread by her supporters, and the agents of the Islamic Republic are threatening me. I had no role in this decision and I do not have one!" She warned, "If anything happens to me or my family, the government is responsible. If I am arrested, I will announce here: from that moment, I will go on hunger strike and will not allow myself to feel any fear. I will leave them with the regret of any sigh and will continue my hunger strike until I join my Sattar." The UN fact-finding committee warned in a recent report that the Iranian government has intensified its efforts to suppress the fundamental rights of women and girls and to "destroy the remnants of women's activities" two years after the start of the "Women, Life, Freedom" protests. In this context, the spokesperson for the US State Department confirmed this report and called on Iranian officials to stop this repression. Matthew Miller described the UN fact-finding committee's report on the repression of Iranian women by the Islamic Republic as "completely accurate" and stated: "We also see that the repression of Iranian women and the violation of their rights by the Islamic Republic continues."