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Iranwire – Ahead of the first anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death on September 16, there has been a notable escalation in the pressure being exerted on the families of the protesters killed by security forces.
Amir, the father of Mehrshad Shahidi, a 19-year-old man who lost his life in the central city of Arak in October 2022 after having been brutally beaten by security personnel, has been summoned and subjected to threats.
On July 27, the eve of the Ashura, Shia Islam’s holiest day, Arak residents gathered at the gravesite of Mehrshad Shahidi, chanting “Rest in peace.”
According to information obtained by IranWire, several participants were arrested by security forces and confronted with fabricated accusations.
Reliable sources have disclosed that Shahidi’s father, who disseminated photographs of his late son to those attending the commemorative ceremony, is now facing threats to the safety of himself and his relatives.
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Mehrshad Shahidi’s resting place in Arak Cemetery has become a gathering spot for local residents devoted to their homeland.
The life of the young cook was cut short on October 26, the eve of his 20th birthday, due to multiple baton strikes.
An eyewitness recounted the final moments of his life: “He sprinted with all his might while being pursued relentlessly by agents. Tear gas was discharged, causing him to lose his footing. He tumbled after colliding with a dustbin. Seven to eight individuals battered his head with a stun gun and then with a baton.”
After beating him for several minutes, the officers dragged his body away.
Defying the relentless pressure exerted by security entities, a substantial number of people attended Shahidi’s funeral, chanting slogans against the Islamic Republic, according to images circulating on social media.
Relentless Pressure on a Grieving Father
Nearly nine months after Shahidi’s untimely demise, his family continues to be threatened by security agencies.
A close relative told IranWire that security agencies have exerted pressure on Mehrshad’s father “almost every day” in an attempt to prevent him from seeking justice for his son’s killing and from encouraging people to gather at his son’s grave.
After the July 27 commemorative ceremony, Amir Shahidi was summoned at the Arak prosecutor’s office and was issued a dire warning by an individual purporting to represent the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Intelligence Organization (IRGC-IO), according to IranWire sources.
The message was: The father would be held responsible for the arrests and potential physical harm sustained by those gathering at his son’s gravesite.
In addition, a representative of the Arak provincial prosecution urged Mehrshad’s father to stop calling on people to go to his son’s grave.
“We have so far demonstrated restraint toward your family and refrained from desecrating the grave of your anti-revolutionary son. However, we shall not leave a trace of it if you persist in gathering people around the grave,” he was told.
The family had previously been assured that cooperating with the Islamic Republic and agreeing that Mehrshad was killed by “anti-revolutionaries” and “hypocrites” would result in financial benefits for them.
Security agencies have also warned Mehrshad’s father against organizing any ceremony at Arak Cemetery or elsewhere to mark the anniversaries of Amini and his son’s deaths, and that failure to comply could lead to the loss of another family member.
This is not an isolated case. In recent days, many families of protesters killed have found themselves under pressure from security agencies.
As the anniversary of Amini’s death and the eruption of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protest movement draws near, several families who lost loved ones during demonstrations have announced a suspension of activity on their social media pages.
Lawyer Says the Murderers’ Identities Are known
Meanwhile, the identities of the protesters’ killers remain undisclosed.
“We possess credible information regarding the identities of those responsible for Mehrshad’s death,” Didban, a group of lawyers, recently said.
Babak Islami Parsani, the lawyer representing the Shahidi family, said: “In Mehrshad Shahidi’s case, I have come across pertinent information, official documents and the names of those who killed him.”
Despite all the threats they face, the Shahidi family has consistently called for justice for the young man’s killing.
“Mehrshad was a protester who died for freedom,” his relatives have repeatedly said.
