Several Organizations Call for International Support for Gohar Eshghi and Families Seeking Justice

Several independent organizations, including the Women’s Revolution of Justice Seekers in Iran, the National Organization for Women’s Rights, the International Association of Independent Journalists in Iran, and the Kurdistan Human Rights Organization - Kurdpa, issued a joint statement calling for practical action and international pressure in support of Gohar Eshghi, the mother of justice seeker Sattar Beheshti, Mina Soltani (Aunt Mina), and other families seeking justice. In their statement released on Monday, October 2, they urged all Iranians abroad and human rights advocacy groups to amplify this protest globally, 'so the world sees that freedom-seeking Iranians will never remain silent in the face of oppression and crime.' This statement was released a day after Gohar Eshghi announced her intention to stage a sit-in in front of the United Nations office in Iran to protest the security pressures on families seeking justice, including Aunt Mina Soltani. Aunt Mina Soltani, the mother of Shahryar Mohammadi, one of the victims of the 2022 protests in Boukan, has been imprisoned in Urmia since September 21. The charges against Aunt Mina Soltani regarding her son are unclear, but according to Asrin Mohammadi, Aunt Mina's daughter who is currently outside Iran and requested not to disclose her location for security reasons, it is likely that her mother was arrested for not adhering to mandatory hijab laws and for supporting families seeking justice. A day after Gohar Eshghi's announcement on the social media platform X, her accounts reported that hours after her sit-in announcement, Islamic Republic security forces surrounded her home and subsequently prevented her from leaving Robat Karim on October 2 through control and pressure. Images of Gohar Eshghi were shared on these social media accounts, showing a bandage on her hand. The post stated: 'Since yesterday evening, the agents of the oppressive regime have surrounded the area around Gohar Eshghi's house, cutting off all telephone and mobile communications, depriving her of any contact with the outside world. This severe psychological pressure has led to a drop in her blood pressure.' It was also mentioned that initial attempts by Sahar Beheshti, Ms. Beheshti's daughter, to contact her mother were unsuccessful, but eventually, through the mediation of a relative, Gohar Eshghi was transferred under the control and supervision of security agencies to her daughter's house. Gohar Eshghi, a civil activist and the mother of Sattar Beheshti, a labor critic of the Islamic Republic who died in custody due to torture, is seen by independent organizations in their statement as a symbol of resistance. They emphasized that her decision to announce the sit-in sends a clear message to the Islamic Republic: 'Resistance does not end.'