Mother of Nika's Justice Seeks Defense in Court; Charges: 'Insulting' Sacred Beliefs, Khomeini and Khamenei

Nasrin Shakeri's lawyer, Ali Omidi, announced the first court session addressing the charges against the mother of justice seeker Nika Shakeri via video conference on Sunday, November 20. According to Ali Omidi, Nasrin Shakeri defended herself against accusations including 'insulting sacred beliefs and spreading falsehoods with the intent to disturb public opinion.' Omidi stated that Shakeri had been summoned multiple times through the Thna system before her arrest but was unaware of the notifications, which led to her detention. He also mentioned that another part of Shakeri's case includes charges such as 'propaganda against the regime, inciting people to war and murder, and insulting' Ali Khamenei and Ruhollah Khomeini, the current and former leaders of the Islamic Republic, which will be addressed in the Revolutionary Court in the coming days. Omidi emphasized that, 'for the sake of her interests,' he is limiting the information shared about her case to 'the minimum possible' and clarified these matters to prevent the spread of false news. Nasrin Shakeri is the mother of Nika Shakeri, a 16-year-old protester who was 'sexually assaulted' and killed by Islamic Republic agents during the nationwide protests in 2021. At that time, state media attempted to portray Nika Shakeri's death as a suicide, but BBC World reported this spring that it had obtained documents proving Nika was abducted by three members of the IRGC, sexually assaulted, and ultimately killed. Shakeri was arrested on October 17 of this year in Khorramabad, the capital of Lorestan province, and her Instagram account was also made inaccessible from that day. Aida Shakeri, another daughter of Nasrin Shakeri, previously stated that her mother is being held in a temporary detention center of the Ministry of Intelligence in Khorramabad Central Prison and is deprived of the right to contact and visit. Over the past two years, the Islamic Republic has increased pressure on opponents, especially families seeking justice, detaining and imprisoning many of them, and in some cases forcing them to close their social media accounts or refrain from continuing their activities. Despite this, the pursuit of justice has not stopped. Additionally, Human Rights Watch has previously stated that Iranian authorities have arrested the families of dozens of those killed and executed during the 2021 protests on 'false charges.'