The 40th Bektash Abtin ceremony turned violent due to the intervention of security forces; at least "six people" were arrested
The 40th anniversary ceremony of Bektash Abtin, which was scheduled to be held on Thursday, February 18, at his burial site, turned violent with the intervention of security forces and the arrest of several participants.
On Thursday evening, the Iranian Writers' Association confirmed the news of the "arrest" and "beating" of a number of attendees by the Islamic Republic's security forces, and published the names of six of those arrested at the event.
Among them are Yashar Tabrizi, Tina Youseftabar, Kambiz Norouzzadeh, Mehryar Zafarmand, Leila Mirghaffari, and a person named Fariborz - whose last name is still unknown.
It is said that more people were arrested at different locations around the ceremony venue at Imamzadeh Abdullah in Shahr-e Ray.
A report published on the Telegram channel of the Iranian Writers' Association states that security forces ultimately expelled people from the cemetery in the final minutes of the ceremony, "using threats and intimidation, deliberately creating clashes," and "repressive intervention."
Previously, Pouran Nazemi, one of the attendees at the ceremony, had reported in a video message the interference of security forces and uniformed personnel of the Islamic Republic in the 40th Bektash Abtin ceremony.
The funeral of this poet and writer was held on January 10th under pressure from security forces.
Mr. Abtin was sentenced to six years in prison last year on charges such as membership in the Iranian Writers' Association and attending the graves of victims of a series of political assassinations. He was transferred to Evin Prison to serve his sentence on October 25, 2020, at the height of the coronavirus crisis in Iran.
He contracted the coronavirus twice during his imprisonment, and finally died on January 8 in a hospital in Tehran after Evin Prison officials ignored his treatment despite his deteriorating physical condition.
Mr. Abtin's brother had previously said, citing his cellmates, that Mr. Abtin's symptoms of the coronavirus had begun on December 22, but prison officials had issued his leave permit on December 22.
He further added that his brother, Bektash Abtin, was in such a bad physical condition after being transferred to the hospital that he could not even speak and his family could only hear a few words from him, but despite this, he was shackled and his feet chained to the hospital bed on two occasions when he was transferred to the hospital.
