The First Yalda After the 2022 Protests; Families of the Victims: A Celebration of Victory 'Light Over Darkness'

On the eve of the first Yalda night after the protests of 2022, several activists and families of deceased protesters shared images and messages on social media to remember the victims. Mehrdad Aghafazli, the father of the deceased protester Yalda Aghafazli, wrote in an Instagram post referencing his daughter's birthday on Yalda night: 'If Yalda were here, it would also be her birthday.' In another note, he emphasized: 'What cannot be imprisoned is the future and freedom; Yalda did not express regret.' In memory of Yalda Aghafazli, the deceased protester, Mojgan Ekhtiyari, the mother of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini, whose death in custody led to one of the largest public protests in the Islamic Republic, wrote on Instagram: 'Come and pass over the forehead of the sky, my beautiful daughter.' Yalda came after the death of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini in custody. Mahnaz Ghadiani, the mother of Nima Noori, another deceased protester, also wrote in an Instagram note: 'Yalda is meaningless to me when my day and night are an endless Yalda without you! I have been a winter dweller for you my whole life...' In memory of Nima Noori, the deceased protester, Goldasteh Hosseini, the mother of Abolfazl Adinehzadeh, a teenage protester who lost his life, wrote in her Instagram note: 'Yalda means the longest night of the year, and what can I say that I do not have you, and every night is the longest night of the year for me.' In memory of Abolfazl Adinehzadeh, the deceased teenage protester, the father of Kian Pirfalak, a child killed during the nationwide protests in 2022 in Izeh, also wrote an Instagram post addressing his deceased child: 'Since you left, every night is longer than this.' Gohar Eshghi, the mother of the martyr Sattar Beheshti, also emphasized in a message that on Yalda night, the families of political prisoners and the impoverished should not be forgotten. Fatemeh Heydari, the sister of the deceased protester Javad Heydari, also remembered her brother by sharing a photo. Atash Shakeri, the aunt of Nika Shakeri, a teenage protester who lost her life, also wrote on Instagram addressing Nika: 'Tonight and every Yalda that I live after you will pass just like your last Yalda... That night you cried until morning, your pain is in my soul...' In memory of Nika Shakeri, the deceased protester, Amir Shahidi, the father of Mehr, another deceased protester, also referred to Yalda as 'the celebration of light over darkness.' Hossein Ronaghi Maleki, a civil activist, wrote on his X (formerly Twitter) page in honor of Yalda night: 'Ultimately, every darkness, no matter how long, will give way to the light and brightness of morning.' During the nationwide protests of 2022, which began after the death of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini in the custody of the 'morality police,' at least five hundred people, including seventy children, were killed, hundreds were injured, and thousands were arrested. Families of the victims continue to face pressure from the Islamic Republic to prevent the commemoration of the deceased protesters. The commemoration ceremony for Yalda Aghafazli was canceled after her father was summoned to the 'places of authority.' Solmaz Hassanzadeh, a member of the families of the victims, was also arrested again.