More Relatives of Slain Iran Protesters Arrested

Iranian authorities have arrested the cousin and nephew of Jamshid Mokhtari Junaghani, who was killed during last year's protests, as a campaign of pressure by security agencies against the families of protesters intensifies. 

The arrests took place on the evening of August 31, when agents visited the workplace of relatives of Mokhtari. 

They arrested Mokhtari’s 17-year-old nephew, Meysam Mohammadian, and his 34-year-old cousin, Saadat Mokhtari.

There is currently no information available about the whereabouts or physical well-being of the two detainees.

The arrests of Mokhtari's relatives are part of a wider campaign of intimidation and harassment targeting the families of slain protesters, days before the September 16 first anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death. 

In recent weeks, there have been a number of reports of families being threatened, summoned to court and arrested.

The human rights organization Atlas of Iranian Prisons has reported that, from July 23 to August 31, the Islamic Republic arrested at least 28 family members of individuals who lost their lives during the protests.

The arrests are seen as an attempt by the authorities to silence dissent and prevent further protests. 

Amnesty International has condemned the Iranian government's treatment of the families of protest victims, calling it a "campaign of intimidation." 

In a report published on August 21, the London-based human rights watchdog documented the cases of 36 victims’ families from 10 provinces across the country who have been subjected to human rights violations in recent months.