Mike Pompeo Calls for Immediate Release of Poya Bakhtiari’s Family

Following the arrest of Poya Bakhtiari’s family, the U.S. Secretary of State called for their release and urged the international community to stand with the Iranian people. Social media reports indicate that the Bakhtiari family “headed to Tehran” on the 5th of Dey to participate in a memorial ceremony.

Mike Pompeo, the U.S. Secretary of State, wrote on Twitter on the evening of December 24, 2019 (3rd of Dey 1398) that the United States strongly condemns the arrest of Poya Bakhtiari’s parents and calls for their immediate release.

Pompeo further wrote in his tweet that it is time for the international community to stand with the Iranian people and hold the regime accountable.

Poya Bakhtiari’s parents and several other family members, one of the victims of the November 2019 protests, were arrested on the 2nd of Dey. Their arrest was reportedly aimed at preventing the holding of the fortieth-day memorial ceremony for Poya Bakhtiari. Several people who visited the family’s home were also detained for several hours.

Poya Bakhtiari’s family, a 27-year-old young man who was killed on November 25 in Mehr City, Karaj, announced that they would hold his fortieth-day memorial ceremony on the 5th of Dey at Baharateh Sakina Cemetery in Karaj.

In this regard, Mehr News Agency reported in an “exclusive report” claiming that “enemies… are trying to continue unrest and use a small number of victims’ families as tools,” stating: “One of these families, whose son was killed in a suspicious manner in the recent unrest, was the Bakhtiari family who, despite invitations and conversations with them, became involved in a failed counter-revolutionary project by fugitives and actively insisted on destabilizing actions. Therefore, with a judicial order and in order to preserve the order and security of the honorable people and victims, and also to prevent the continuation of the killing project and the recurrence of armed actions against people, these elements were arrested.”

Manouchehr Bakhtiari and Nahid Shirpisheh, Poya Bakhtiari’s father and mother, had been summoned by the Ministry of Intelligence in recent days. According to Poya Bakhtiari’s father, during his three-hour presence at the ministry, Ministry of Intelligence officials said they would not allow the holding of Poya’s fortieth-day memorial ceremony in any place other than open locations and would prevent it, but he emphasized his determination to hold the ceremony.

“The Bakhtiari Family’s Journey to Tehran”

Social media users and internet communities have shown widespread reactions since the arrest of Poya Bakhtiari’s family. In the latest reactions, users reported the “Bakhtiari” family’s journey toward Tehran.

Some users, by activating the hashtag “our_promise_fifth_of_Dey,” announced that in a coordinated movement, Arab tribes, Qashqai Turks, Baluchs, Kurds, and Azerbaijanis are moving toward Tehran.

Reports from Tehran indicate that since this morning, the 3rd of Dey, “anti-riot” forces have been stationed on Setarkhane Street, Sadeghieh Street, and several other areas of Tehran.

Several users tweeted about this, saying Tehran has become a scene of “armed security motorcyclists with batons and weapons.” They questioned whether this “maneuver” is a show of force to counter the fortieth-day memorial of protest victims on the 5th of Dey or in response to the arrest of Poya Bakhtiari’s family.

Another user saw the presence of “anti-riot guards” as evidence that the Islamic Republic’s officials, despite being heavily armed, fear the people.

In the latest report by Reuters news agency, citing several sources close to Ayatollah Khamenei’s office, it was stated that the Islamic Republic’s leader issued an order for harsh treatment of protesters in a meeting. These sources reported the death toll from the November protests and crackdowns as 1,500 people.

Source: DW