The City of Saqez Has Become Highly Secured Ahead of the Anniversary of Mahsa Amini's Death

Eyewitnesses have reported to Radio Farda that Saqez, the city where Mahsa Amini lived and was buried, has become highly secured ahead of the second anniversary of her death, with a noticeable presence of security forces in the streets. According to eyewitness accounts, the security situation in the city has intensified since Thursday, September 13, with numerous cameras installed in various areas, particularly in places where protests previously occurred. Mahsa Jina Amini, a 22-year-old from Saqez, was arrested in Tehran on September 13, 2021, under the pretext of 'improper hijab' and died in the hospital on September 16 after becoming unconscious in detention. The heightened security in Saqez comes as Mahsa's father, Amjad Amini, announced in a voice message to Radio Farda on September 13 that if the Iranian government does not impose the restrictions seen last year, the anniversary ceremony on Sunday, September 17, will be held due to numerous calls and requests from the public. However, eyewitnesses have reported that the atmosphere on Mamosta Hajar Street (the street where Mahsa's family lives) has also become highly secured. Sources from Radio Farda indicate that the atmosphere at Aichi Cemetery, where Mahsa is buried, is also secure, with an increased number of surveillance cameras in the area. Eyewitnesses say these cameras appear to be traffic control cameras but are installed in places where no vehicles pass and where there is no traffic. They also report changes at the entrances and exits of Saqez, with security forces stationed and large concrete blocks set up. Sources from Radio Farda also report that security agents are stopping cars at the city's entrances and exits, asking questions about why people are going to Saqez, what their business is, and where they are coming from, and then inspecting the trunks of vehicles. The Iranian government had also significantly increased security measures not only in Saqez but in many large cities, including the capital, around the first anniversary of Mahsa Amini last year, imposing heavy restrictions on the ceremonies. However, Amjad Amini told Radio Farda that holding the ceremony is the right of Mahsa's family. He stated, 'We, the family of Mahsa Jina Amini, like any grieving Iranian family, want and have the right to hold a traditional and religious anniversary ceremony for our lost loved one.' Some sources from Radio Farda report that security agents have been regularly contacting civil and political activists as well as merchants in Saqez in recent days, threatening them that any action that indicates protest is prohibited and will have consequences. Sources also indicate that security agents have told merchants that they must open their shops on Sunday, September 17, just like any other day, and are not allowed to close or strike. As the second anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death approaches, which led to the formation of the 'Women, Life, Freedom' movement and its severe suppression by the government, reports from human rights organizations indicate that the Iranian government continues to silence and punish the families of those seeking justice, and pressures on women and their suppression have also increased ahead of the anniversary of these protests. In the latest statement from the United Nations fact-finding committee, published on Friday, September 14, it emphasized that the Iranian government has intensified its efforts to suppress the fundamental rights of women and girls and to destroy other women's activities, and despite a decrease in widespread protests, government security forces have intensified previous patterns of violence, including beating, kicking, and slapping women and girls who appear to violate mandatory hijab laws. Just two days earlier, Human Rights Watch announced that the Iranian government has arrested or threatened family members of dozens of individuals who were killed, executed, or imprisoned during the past two years of protests on false charges or subjected them to harassment. The fact-finding committee has emphasized that two years after the start of the 'Women, Life, Freedom' protests, the Islamic Republic continues to silence and punish the families of those seeking justice who demand accountability from the government for the violations of the rights of their family members and relatives. Nevertheless, the Islamic Republic remains concerned about the resurgence of protests on the anniversary of Mahsa Jina Amini's death.