Government Forces Block Access to Nika Shakeri's Grave

On the eve of the second anniversary of Nika Shakeri's death, security forces of the Islamic Republic blocked the roads leading to her grave. Nasrin Shakeri, Nika's mother, confirmed the closure of the roads leading to her daughter's grave on her Instagram account. She noted that she did not issue any calls for gatherings, as she did not want to face arrests and disturbances like last year. However, she added that since early morning, government agents have closed the Visyan road and the Hayat al-Ghayb cemetery from all sides, preventing anyone from passing through. Atash Shakeri, Nika's aunt, also wrote on her Instagram account that the roads leading to the Hayat al-Ghayb cemetery have been blocked by 'repressive' forces and will remain closed until Saturday, September 31. She further mentioned that the movement of local people has been hindered, funeral ceremonies in the entire area have been canceled by government forces, and people's lives have been disrupted. According to Atash Shakeri, their family 'has no right to enter the area and go to Nika's grave.' Shirin Ebadi, head of the Human Rights Defenders Center and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, reacted to the blocking of the roads leading to the Hayat al-Ghayb cemetery, where Nika Shakeri's grave is located, stating on Instagram: 'The government has well understood that the graves of the deceased are no longer places for mourning, but places for seeking justice.' She added: 'The security apparatus tries in various ways to divert the families seeking justice from their path, to beat the drum of mourning, and to make seeking justice seem meaningless, but this effort will not succeed.' She continued: 'We have not forgotten that the doors of the Khavaran cemetery have been closed to the families seeking justice for years, and we do not forget how many dear lives whose families still have no information about their burial places.' Nika Shakeri, born on October 2, 2005, was kidnapped by several government agents of the Islamic Republic on September 20, 2022, after participating in protests against the killing of Mahsa Amini while in the custody of the morality police. She was sexually assaulted, tortured, and killed. BBC World reported in May 2023 that it had obtained evidence indicating that Nika was killed in a refrigerated truck by three members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps after being sexually assaulted and beaten with a baton. Additionally, see: Exclusive; The U.S. called reports about Nika Shakeri's murder 'horrific' and demanded an investigation by a UN fact-finding committee. Aida Shakeri, Nika's sister, who has been out of Iran for some time, tweeted: 'The dimensions of the Islamic Republic's crimes during the 2021 protests are much broader than what has been revealed so far.' On the eve of September 25, the anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death in custody and the beginning of widespread protests in Iran, Nika's sister revealed that when identifying Nika's body at the forensic office, she witnessed many cases of teenage girls and young women who had been killed. She pointed out that Nika's case was just one of 'at least a hundred similar cases in that area of Tehran' and emphasized that 'many of these victims were never identified, and their families remain unaware of their fate.' Aida Shakeri also accused the Islamic Republic of destroying the lives of countless families and forcing them into silence, noting: 'Islamic Republic officials have fabricated cases against survivors who sought justice.' She emphasized that the bloodshed and ruined lives caused by the Islamic Republic will one day drown this regime. The second anniversary of Nika Shakeri's death received significant attention on social media, with many Iranian users reacting. Hossein Ronaghi, a political activist and former political prisoner, wrote on his account on the social media platform 'X': 'The anniversary of the killing of the brave and aware daughter of Iran, Nika Shakeri, reminds us of one of the greatest government crimes in our history.' He added: 'What remains of her is woman, life, freedom, and courage and resistance; in contrast, what will remain of you criminals is death and humiliation.' Solmaz Kavyani also wrote on X: 'Your name can never be erased from the history of this country, my daughter.' An account titled 'Adorno' quoted Shahrokh Meskoob, a researcher, Shahnameh scholar, translator, and Iranian writer, stating that 'life is passed from hand to hand, and a person never completely dies. Their person goes, but the essence of their life takes form in another body and garment.' It was added that 'the day of your immortality is a day of courage and hope in our cultural calendar!' Additionally, Yasaman Khodajoo, a former political prisoner and monarchist activist, wrote: 'Today is the anniversary of the government murder of the brave daughter of Iran, the immortal Nika Shakeri.' She added: 'The immortal Nika Shakeri, who went to the streets to destroy the child-killing regime in Tehran, was kidnapped and murdered by the terrorists of the Islamic Republic.' Samira Rahi, a journalist and feminist, also wrote: 'Today is your day, Nika. You stood tall like a cypress, you set the symbol of oppression on fire, you stood ahead of everyone and shouted death to the dictator, and then you never returned home.' She added: 'Two years have passed since your absence, and the wound of your loss will always be fresh in our hearts...' Shima Babaei also shared a video of Nika Shakeri singing and wrote: 'Look at this zest for life. Nika Shakeri was brutally killed.' Leila Ravand, referring to September 29 as the anniversary of Nika Shakeri's government murder, wrote about the girl who became a symbol of resistance and struggle at a young age: 'Your dreams will always remain with us, and your memory will always be eternal.'