Shabtabnews In this dark night, I have lost my way – Arise from a corner, oh you the star of guidance.
Iranwire – Over one year after the 2022 uprising and the commemoration of the anniversary of those who lost their lives, the Islamic Republic persists in intimidating families.
Among those facing threats is the family of Fereydoun Faraji in Saqqez, the hometown of Mahsa Amini.
Fereydoun, a young worker, lost his life at the hands of the Islamic Republic forces on October 27, 2022, with his body hastily buried under the cover of night in Baneh.
Despite the intimidation, Fereydoun’s family remains steadfast in their pursuit of justice through legal action on his behalf, finding solace and motivation in their quest for truth and accountability.
“When morning breaks, our eyes are fixed on the door until evening, hoping for a brief respite from loneliness,” said Pari Badsar, mother of Faraji.
His resting place lies in Aichi cemetery, several rows from the tomb of Fereydoun Mahmoudi, another victim of the crackdown on the 2022 nationwide protests, situated on the eastern side of the cemetery.
Faraji’s burial occurred under the shroud of night, compelled by security forces.
His father’s poignant recitations at his son’s gravesite remain one of the most enduring expressions of grief among plaintiff families.
Mustafa Faraji, pledging in Kurdish at his son’s grave, vows, “Fereydoun! You will be eternally remembered. I swear to you, I clothe myself in black for you. The black garb shall never be removed, and laughter will never grace my lips until the promised day.”
Over a year has passed since that solemn oath.
Mustafa Faraji still wears black, his countenance heavy with sorrow, while Pari clutches a cherished photograph of her son.
Both assert that their only solace lies in seeking justice for Fereydoun.
Amid their sorrow, these grieving parents express longing for the companionship of their fellow Saqqez residents, yearning for the reassurance that they are not alone on this arduous journey.
Pari said, “I will never forget the kindness of people, their remembrance of us even after a year, their occasional visits granting us moments to reminisce about our child and alleviate our solitude.”
A lingering bitterness pervades Mustafa’s words, a testament to his profound longing for his son.
“Amidst this economic and political suffocation, everyone grapples with their own challenges,” he said.
“Yet, they must understand that Fereydoun, Danial, Mahsa, and others were not only ours or the Amini families’. They belonged to all of us.”
He further stresses, “While attention is rightly drawn to Toomaj, we must not forget other prisoners facing the executioner’s blade, such as Reza Rasaei. With the government seeking more victims for its gallows, we cannot overlook their plight.”
Despite facing threats and temptations from agents of the Islamic Republic, Fereydoun Faraji’s family, despite their precarious economic situation, has resisted numerous attempts to buy their silence in exchange for blood money.
Their resolute response remains, “We do not feed our children with the blood of our dead child.”
The plaintiff families in Saqqez maintain close ties with other Kurdish plaintiff families, intertwining their grief as if one’s sorrow is entwined with another’s.
Nasrin Mostafavi, mother of Danial Aban, another victim in Saqqez, not only stays connected with other victim families but also recently visited Shahriar Mohammadi’s family in Bukan on behalf of Saqqez’s plaintiff families, commemorating what would have been Shahriar’s 30th birthday.
