Pouya Bakhtiari's family members arrested

The family of Pouya Bakhtiari, one of the people killed in the November protests, were arrested. The reason for the arrest was said to be to prevent the celebration of Pouya Bakhtiari's 40th birthday. A number of visitors to the family's home were also detained for several hours.

The Mehr News Agency, affiliated with the Islamic Propaganda Organization, announced the arrest of members of the family of Pouya Bakhtiari at midnight last night. The family of Pouya Bakhtiari, a 27-year-old young man who was killed in Mehrshahr, Karaj on November 15, has announced that they will hold their son's 40th birthday ceremony on January 25 at the Behesht Sakineh cemetery in Karaj.

Mehr News Agency wrote in an “exclusive news” claiming that “the enemies… are using the few families of the victims as a tool to continue the unrest and to continue the killings,” adding: “One of these families whose child was suspiciously killed in the recent unrest was the family of Pouya Bakhtiari. Despite being invited and talking to them, they were included in the counter-revolutionary project of the fugitive bankrupts and actively insisted on their structurally destructive actions. Therefore, these elements were arrested by a court order in order to protect the order and security of the honorable and damaged people, as well as to prevent the continuation of the project of killing and the repetition of armed actions against the people.”

Manouchehr Bakhtiari and Nahid Shirpisheh, the parents of Pouya Bakhtiari, were summoned to the Ministry of Intelligence in recent days. According to Pouya Bakhtiari's father, during his three-hour presence at the ministry, intelligence officials said that they would not allow Pouya's 40th birthday celebration to be held in a place other than an indoor location and would prevent it, but he has emphasized his determination to hold the ceremony.

Last night, a number of visitors to the home of the Pouya Bakhtiari family were arrested. The human rights news agency “HRANA” wrote in this regard, quoting an informed source: “This evening, three cars and about ten people from civil society activists and a number of lawyers went to the home of the Bakhtiari family to offer condolences and visit. After the visit ended, the visitors were returning from Karaj to Tehran in three cars when security forces stopped one of the cars and arrested its occupants.”

Also, “Saham News,” a website close to Mehdi Karroubi, reported that security forces raided the house of Ms. Shahnaz Akmal. Initially, they intended to arrest Maryam Karimbeigi at night, but since she was not at home, they confiscated her mobile phone.

Shahnaz Akmali and Maryam Karimbeigi are the mother and sister of Mustafa Karimbeigi, one of those killed in the Ashura protests of 2009. Saham News reports that the mother and daughter were summoned to the Ministry of Intelligence two days ago and interrogated and threatened for hours. During the interrogations, they announced that a case had been opened for Maryam Karimbeigi and a new case had been opened for Ms. Shahnaz Akmali. Ms. Akmali will have to report to prison in the coming days to serve her prison sentence in the previous case.

About 1,500 people killed in three days of protests

Several officials from the Islamic Republic's Ministry of Interior have confirmed that among the 17 teenage victims are about 400 women, as well as a number of security forces and police.

On Monday, December 23, Reuters reported in an exclusive report, citing three Iranian officials who did not wish to be named, that about 1,500 people were killed in the protests in Iran during the last week of that month.

Reuters writes that Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, himself has issued an order to crack down on the protesters. The news agency writes that Ayatollah Khamenei's order to crack down on the protesters was confirmed by three sources close to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic. According to Reuters, Ayatollah Khamenei has ordered security forces to do whatever is necessary to stop them.

The statistics obtained by Reuters are based on information collected from various institutions, such as security forces, laundries and morgues, hospitals, and forensic medicine.

Reuters writes that government representatives refuse to say that the decree was issued by Ali Khamenei himself at a meeting he convened on November 17. Even the Islamic Republic's mission to the United Nations refused to answer questions on the matter.

Reuters continues its report by saying that the wave of protests reached Tehran on November 16, the second day of the protests. People were demanding an end to the Islamic Republic system and the overthrow of the Islamic Republic's leader. Reuters writes, relying on videos published on social media, that in a number of cities, protesters had torn down pictures of Ali Khamenei and demanded the return of Reza Pahlavi to the country.

Khamenei summoned senior security and government officials, as well as the president and members of the government, to his residence on the evening of November 16. In the meeting, the content of which was confirmed by Reuters from three sources close to the Islamic Republic's leader, Ali Khamenei, 80, who makes final national and military decisions, criticized the way officials dealt with the protesters and was angry at the burning of his pictures and pictures and symbols of Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic, by the people.

According to a reliable source, Ali Khamenei then said: "The Islamic Republic is in danger. Do whatever you can to end this mess. You have this authority from me."

Source: DW