Statement from 77 Family Members of Victims: Immediately Release Imprisoned Seekers of Justice and Process Cases of Our Deceased Loved Ones

Seventy-seven family members of victims have issued a statement demanding the "immediate and unconditional release" of detained seekers of justice, the "processing of the cases" of the deceased, and "urgent follow-up" by international bodies regarding the Islamic Republic's treatment of these seekers. The signatories of the statement regard seeking justice as "a right" and have stated: "As a collective of families of seekers of justice, while emphasizing this human, political, and legal right, we do not tolerate any form of pressure, threats, intimidation, torture, or imprisonment and demand the immediate and unconditional release of the detainees, the removal of any pressure and threats, and the processing and follow-up of the cases of our deceased loved ones." They emphasized the "political and legal immunity" of seekers of justice, adding: "In Iran under the rule of the Islamic Republic, seekers of justice are not only not protected by the law; they are threatened, prosecuted, tortured, and even imprisoned." Meanwhile, the human rights organization "Hengaw" reported on Wednesday, September 14, that Ramyar Aboubakri, the 16-year-old brother and seeker of justice for Zanyar Aboubakri, along with Siavash Soltani, the child of Kobra Sheikhsagh, one of the victims of the protests against the killing of Mahsa Amini while in the custody of the morality police, were arrested by security forces of the Islamic Republic in the city of Mahabad and transferred to an unknown location. According to Hengaw sources, security forces beat the families of these two during their arrest, including the parents of Zanyar Aboubakri. The organization noted that there is currently no accurate information available regarding the reasons for the arrest of Ramyar Aboubakri and Siavash Soltani, the charges against them, and their fate and location, and the families' inquiries have been fruitless. In their statement, the families of seekers of justice also described the "movement for justice" as "one of the strongest and most legitimate political and social movements in Iran" and criticized the imprisonment of several members of the families of seekers of justice, including Mashallah Karami, Kamal Lotfi, and Solmaz Hassan Zadeh. They added: "We call on public opinion, international bodies, and human rights organizations to urgently follow up on these actions of the Islamic Republic against the families of seekers of justice and to establish rights and justice." Mashallah Karami, the father of executed protester Mohammad Mehdi Karami, has been in detention since August 31, 2023, facing charges such as "acquiring illegitimate wealth and money laundering," "gathering and colluding," and "propaganda against the regime." Additionally, Kamal Lotfi, the father of Reza Lotfi, a deceased protester in the city of Dehgolan in Kurdistan province, has been detained since April 10 of this year and is accused of "propaganda activities against the regime," "insulting" the leader of the Islamic Republic, and "insulting" the founder of the Islamic Republic. Solmaz Hassan Zadeh, the sister of seeker of justice Mohammad Hassan Zadeh, a deceased protester in Boukan, was temporarily released from Urmia prison on August 14 after 14 days of detention on a bail of 500 million tomans. She had been previously detained as well. So far, many members of the families of seekers of justice have been subjected to harassment by the authorities and intelligence and judicial institutions of the Islamic Republic, and in some cases, they have been expelled from their workplaces and educational institutions. The "harassment" of the families of the deceased in the nationwide protests by the security and judicial institutions of the Islamic Republic has consistently been criticized by U.S. officials and human rights organizations. The arrest of Omid Ahmadinejad, a Kurdish singer, and two members of a seeker of justice family in Mahabad continues the pressure on seeker families; the 15-year-old brother of one of the victims of the Zahedan protests was arrested. Two fathers seeking justice for the victims of the Ukrainian plane crash told Voice of America: the violation of the ruling in the Supreme Court of the Islamic Republic is a "ridiculous show." The mother of seekers of justice Mehrdad and Manocher Bakhtiari sarcastically remarked to the Islamic Republic: "Create a special prison for this family."