Last Thursday of the Year Ceremony; Seekers of Justice Visit the Graves of Victims of the Iranian Government

A group of citizens, including seekers of justice and civil activists, gathered at the graves of victims of human rights violations by the Islamic Republic, coinciding with the last Thursday of the year 1403, which is a day of honoring the deceased in Iranian culture. The father of Ailar Haqi, a medical student killed during the government's crackdown on the nationwide protests of 1401 in Tabriz, published a video of his visit to his daughter's grave titled 'Last Thursday of the Year.' In the video, Mr. Haqi places greenery on Ailar's grave and scatters seeds for the birds. Additionally, a video of Leila Mahdavi, the mother of Siavash Mahmoudi, a teenager killed by the Islamic Republic's forces in Tehran during the protests of 1401, shows her at her son's grave making a victory sign while playing the song 'You have broken the glass to break our stone.' Concurrently, Fatemeh Heydari, the sister of justice seeker Javad Heydari, who was killed by the Islamic Republic's forces during the 1401 protests in Qazvin, emphasized through a photo that 'the paths leading to the birthplace of Abol Korkor,' a young protester who ended his life after two years of hiding from government forces, have been 'blocked by the agents of the Islamic Republic.' According to Ms. Heydari, 'the villagers can only pass through by presenting identification cards.' In a post on X regarding the prohibition of entry to Abol Korkor's birthplace on the last Thursday of the year, a group of civil activists, pilots, and members of the Air Force also paid tribute at the grave of Nader Jahangir, the deputy commander of the Imperial Iranian Air Force during Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi's reign. In images shared by Golnar Jahangir from her father's grave on the anniversary of his execution by the Islamic Republic officials, individuals, including those in pilot uniforms, are seen saluting at Nader Jahangir's grave while laying wreaths. Golnar Jahangir also wrote on social media: 'Today, at my dear father's grave, a group of pilots, Air Force officers, and dear and loyal compatriots came with beautiful flowers with affection, love, and respect to commemorate him.' Some users also referenced the historical significance of honoring the last Thursday of the year in Zoroastrian Iranian culture, stating that visiting the dead on this day is 'actually the festival of Farvardegan and the return of the souls of the deceased,' which is still honored by Iranians. The last Thursday of the year is part of the series of Nowruz rituals where Iranians gather in cemeteries to honor their deceased loved ones.