Increased Pressure on Plaintiffs; Sepehr Azimi's Family Summoned to Prosecutor's Office and Intelligence Agency in Karaj

Sepehr Azimi's brother, one of the victims of the nationwide protests in 2022, reported that his family was summoned for an 'immediate summons' to the prosecutor's office and then sent to the Intelligence Agency in Karaj. Siamak Azimi tweeted on Wednesday, August 16, announcing the 'immediate summons' of his family, stating: 'I was lucky I wasn't home; otherwise, they would have taken me. But my parents went. Don't leave them alone.' Two hours after the initial news, Siamak Azimi tweeted that his family 'returned home,' but after being referred to the Intelligence Agency in Karaj, they were told that due to the late hour, 'all members of the Azimi family' must 'introduce themselves to the intelligence agency' the next morning, Thursday. According to Siamak Azimi, the initial summons was 'by phone' and then 'in person, without any judicial order.' Lawyers and legal experts have emphasized that phone summonses have no legal validity. As the anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death and the nationwide protests in Iran approaches, pressure on civil activists and the families of the plaintiffs has intensified from the security and judicial authorities of the Islamic Republic. A knowledgeable source recently informed the Persian section of Voice of America that a joint case has been opened by the Intelligence Organization of the IRGC against six constitutionalist civil activists, five of whom are currently in prison, in the third branch of the Evin Prosecutor's Office, with charges of 'gathering and collusion' and 'propaganda against the regime.' In recent days, after Ali and Pouria Rouhi, the father and brother of Hamidreza Rouhi, another victim of the nationwide protests, announced their 'inability' to continue their activities on Instagram until the anniversary of Hamidreza, Atena Daemi, a human rights defender, also reported that her sister Hanieh was 'summoned by phone to the security police' on Sunday, August 13. Additionally, slogans such as 'Death to Khamenei' have appeared on billboards in Tehran ahead of the anniversary of Mahsa (Jina) Amini's death, and protest graffiti has been seen in Mashhad as the anniversary approaches. The Independent Filmmakers Association of Iran stated that filmmakers are fighting against the repression of the Islamic Republic. Security crackdowns on students in Tehran have intensified, with 200 students in Hamedan facing 'cancellation of accommodation.'