Shabtabnews In this dark night, I have lost my way – Arise from a corner, oh you the star of guidance.
Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) – Gohar Eshghi and Sahar Beheshti, the mother and sister of blogger Sattar Beheshti who was killed in detention in 2012 were arrested in raid at their home on the anniversary of his death on November 3. Iran Human Rights strongly condemns their arrest and calls for their immediate and unconditional release.
“Arresting Gohar Eshghi and Sattar Beheshti’s other relatives is a sign of the authorities’ fear of the movement seeking justice. Despite such government threats and repression, the movement has grown dramatically over the last few years and turned into a nationwide demand. We call on the international and national civil society to support the Iranian people’s call for accountability,” said Iran Human Rights Director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam.
UPDATE: According to the Sattar Beheshti Foundation, Gohar Eshghi and her family were all released on November 6.
According to the Sattar Beheshti Foundation, “security forces violently raided Sattar Beheshti’s sister, Sahar Beheshti’s house at 22:20 on Wednesday, November 3 and arrested all members of Sattar Beheshti’s family after searching the house and confiscating their communication deviecs.”
“Gohar Eshghi suffered a heart attack and was unable to breathe for a few moments” due to the security forces’ intimidating behaviour. Forces also prevented Sahar Beheshti from fetching her mother’s medication by beating and insulting her. Mostafa Eslami, Sahar’s husband was also severely beaten when he tried to intervene and their two ten-year-old children were also present and witness to the whole event.
On October 31, the Sattar Beheshti Foundation released a video of Gohar Eshghi talking about her son’s arrest ahead of the anniversary of his death.
The Democrat Front of Iran also released a statement about the arrest of their Secretary General, Heshmat Tabarzadi and six other central council members at the site of Sattar Beheshti’s grave on the same day.
Sattar Beheshti was a blogger and civil activist who was arrested by Iranian Cyber Police on charges of “acting against national security through social media and Facebook activities” on 31 October 2012 and died of the injuries sustained under torture three days later.
Following a claim filed by his family, the court ruled Sattar Beheshti’s death to have been a “quasi-premeditated murder” and sentenced an officer to three years imprisonment.
The Sattar Beheshti Foundation had scheduled a ceremony to commemorate both the anniversary of Sattar Beheshti’s death and all those killed during the November 2019 nationwide protests, where Gohar Eshghi and other mothers seeking accountability for their children were due to speak.
