Reactions to the 'Kidnapping' of Yekta Nasir's Child by Her Ex-Husband: A Concern for Every Woman Giving Birth in the Islamic Republic

The release of a video featuring Yekta Nasir, a cinema and television actress, crying at the Haft-Seen table and stating that her ex-husband has 'kidnapped' their young daughter, has sparked reactions on social media, with some users attributing the issue to anti-women laws in the Islamic Republic. In the video shared on Instagram, she tearfully addressed 'mothers,' stating that it is the 29th of Esfand, and while she has prepared the Haft-Seen table and made purchases for her child, her ex-husband has 'stolen' their daughter, Sophia. She mentions that she has come from the police station, where she was told to 'wait' due to the holidays. She also adds that she has been 'beaten for 10 years' and has been separated for 'two years,' expressing hope in the 'law.' Yekta Nasir's ex-husband, Manouchehr Hadi, a producer and director in cinema and television, has been described by some users as 'affiliated with the Islamic Republic.' Journalist Azadeh Mokhtari referred to this video as 'a depiction of the realization of women's and mothers' rights in Iran,' writing on social media: 'The last news that emerged in 1402 and was published at the beginning of 1403 tells the story of a woman crying out that her seven-year-old daughter has been taken away by her father, seeking help! She says she has been separated for two years due to violence! She is an educated and well-known woman!' Mehdi Karimi Saba, a journalist from the IRIB news agency, also shared the video, emphasizing that this scene is familiar to him and stated that the prolongation of such complaints is a method for 'family survival.' He considered Yekta Nasir 'like thousands of others' who 'are sent away after visiting the police station and must go to the judicial services during office hours to register their complaints, only to wait one or two months for the father of their love to show up or not!' Journalist Najmeh Jamshidi described Yekta Nasir's situation as 'a mirror of women in this country,' adding: 'It doesn't matter what position you hold. Ultimately, the law does not support you. We must not remain silent on this issue.' Journalist Mansoureh Hosseini Yeganeh also mentioned that even when she 'didn't have a child at all,' she had nightmares for a long time after watching a film about losing her child. She said: 'This nightmare returned to me after 20 years last night. Yekta Nasir's despair is a clear image of the concern of every woman who becomes a mother in the Islamic Republic.' Meanwhile, the Mizan news agency, affiliated with the judiciary of the Islamic Republic, reacted to this news by claiming that 'the issue mentioned is not abduction or kidnapping.' The judiciary's media outlet also announced that Yekta Nasir 'has not yet approached the judiciary' and 'has only registered her complaint at the police station, and the case is being followed up.' This government media stated that custody of the child is with Yekta Nasir, and her ex-husband Manouchehr Hadi has the right to 'one hour of visitation per week at the police station' according to a temporary court order, adding: 'Considering the age of the shared daughter, who is seven years and three months old, and Ms. Nasir's claim of obtaining a temporary court order in this regard, if the claim is valid, Ms. Yekta Nasir's complaint regarding the failure to deliver the child at the appointed time and place will be processed according to regulations.' According to the laws of the Islamic Republic, the guardianship of the child belongs to the father, and in the absence of the father, to the paternal grandfather. Regarding custody, if the child is under seven years old, custody is with the mother, and if the child is older than seven, guardianship is with the father.