Government Forces Prevent Public Attendance at Kianoush Sanjari's Funeral

The funeral and burial ceremony of Kianoush Sanjari, a civil activist and former journalist for Voice of America, took place on Friday, November 25, at Behesht Zahra in Tehran under heavy security. Government agents prevented the public from attending his burial. According to images shared on social media, the ceremony was held earlier than scheduled. Various sources reported that the ceremony was attended only by family and a limited number of close friends. It was previously announced that the ceremony would take place at 10 AM on Friday; however, due to pressure from security forces, it was conducted earlier. The 'Civil Protest Market' channel reported that Kianoush Sanjari's body was buried at 9:30 AM in section 250 of Behesht Zahra, while security forces had closed this section and did not allow people to enter. Concurrently, internet disruptions were reported in areas of Tehran, including Shahriar. Kambez Norouzadeh, a civil and human rights activist in Iran, wrote on the social media platform 'X': 'The ceremony for Kianoush Sanjari was supposed to be held at 10 AM from the Mourning Hall to his burial site, but they buried him a few hours earlier; were they afraid of the corpse?' Kianoush Sanjari, a journalist and former political prisoner, ended his life on Wednesday, November 23, in protest against the conditions of political prisoners in the Islamic Republic. He had announced a day earlier that if the government did not release four political prisoners—Fatemeh Sepahri, Nasrin Shakeri, Toumaj Salehi, and Arsham Razai—within 24 hours, he would end his life in protest against 'the dictatorship of Ali Khamenei and his associates.' A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department expressed condolences for the death of Kianoush Sanjari on Thursday, November 24, and extended sympathy to his family. The spokesperson told Voice of America: 'We are saddened by the death of Kianoush Sanjari, a former journalist for the Persian service of Voice of America, and we sympathize with his family.' They added, 'His death and other recent suicides of young people in Iran indicate the increasing despair of Iranian youth towards a regime that suppresses their most basic human rights.' The U.S. State Department reiterated its call for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners detained without just cause in Iran. Arsham Razai from prison: 'How many more must end their lives before we wake up?' Exclusive | U.S. State Department: Sanjari's death is a sign of despair among Iranian youth.