Parastoo Farahvar to be tried three days after the anniversary of her parents' murder in Tehran

Parastoo Farahvar, daughter of Dariush and Parvaneh Farahvar, announced that she is set to be tried three days after the anniversary of her parents' murder, following a complaint by the Ministry of Intelligence on charges of 'propaganda against the regime and insulting the sacred.' Ms. Farahvar, who lives in Germany, stated on her website that holding a ceremony for the victims of the serial killings is an opportunity to 'remind of the unfinished quest for justice for political crimes' and confirmed that, as in previous years, she will travel to Tehran to hold a memorial for her parents. She also reported that the Ministry of Intelligence's complaint against her from last year has been referred to Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court, and her trial is scheduled to take place three days after the anniversary of her parents' murder. Parastoo Farahvar referred to this action as 'case fabrication' and described it as 'the price for insisting on remembering and seeking justice.' She told Radio Farda: 'The specifics related to my charges were fundamentally incomprehensible, and even my visit to Dr. Mossadegh's grave was taken into account.' Parastoo Farahvar added that despite her and her lawyer's hopes and efforts, unfortunately, the judge referred the case to the Revolutionary Court without paying attention to them. She stated that the charges brought against her have 'no legal basis' and described her trial as 'case fabrication' and 'turning the complainant and the accused around,' which aims to 'prevent rightful protests against the denial of permission to hold a memorial for Dariush Farahvar and Parvaneh Eskandari (Farahvar).' Ms. Farahvar also emphasized on her website that this action is an 'example' of similar cases of increased pressure on mothers, sisters, and relatives of victims of political crimes who seek justice and remind of their loved ones' stories. She added: 'What rights and status do we, the survivors of victims of political crimes, have in our society? What reaction can we have other than silence and enduring the oppression that has been inflicted upon us, where seeking justice has become synonymous with propaganda against the regime and is considered a crime? And do government officials have any response to our quest for justice other than sophistry, threats, and repression?' Previously, Parastoo Farahvar's passport had been confiscated multiple times upon her arrival in Iran, and she had been summoned to court. Last year, she also reported being summoned to Evin Prosecutor's Office. In recent years, security agents have prevented the holding of memorial ceremonies for Dariush and Parastoo Farahvar by blocking the alley leading to their home. Meanwhile, Parastoo Farahvar announced that she has complained about the actions of the security agents to the Article 90 Commission of Parliament, but this complaint has not yet yielded results. She stated that she will also pursue this complaint during her trip to Tehran. Ms. Farahvar also wrote that the outcome of the case regarding the 'theft and destruction of her parents' house' resulted in 'a baseless and hollow ruling from the court, which will mean a deadlock in the judicial process.' She added: 'If there is a way to pursue this, I will also follow this case. If not, I will again consider it as an indication that the judicial system of the Islamic Republic is not meant to be a judge for the violation of our rights.' Dariush Farahvar, the leader of the Iran Nation Party, and his wife, Parvaneh Eskandari, known as Farahvar, were murdered on December 1, 1998, in their home in Tehran by knife wounds. On December 12 of the same year, Mohammad Mokhtari, a writer, poet, and member of the board of directors of the Iranian Writers' Association, disappeared, and on December 18, Mohammad Jafar Pouyandeh, a translator and one of the most active members of the Iranian Writers' Association, also disappeared, with their bodies later found. The Iranian Ministry of Intelligence declared 'rogue elements' within the ministry responsible for these four murders, which became known as the serial political killings. Saeed Emami (Islamic), a former deputy of the Ministry of Intelligence, was arrested in connection with this case, and it was later announced that he had committed suicide in prison. Several officials of the Ministry of Intelligence were also arrested along with Saeed Emami (Islamic).