On the second anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death in morality police custody, Iranian authorities have threatened her family with arrest as they restricted gatherings at her burial site to quash potential unrest.
According to reports obtained by Iran International, Iranian intelligence agents have banned the family from leaving home to prevent them visiting the grave at Aichi Cemetery in Saqqez.
Security forces have also barred other relatives from visiting the family home.
Amini’s death on September 16, 2022, after being detained by Iran’s "morality police" for allegedly violating the country's mandatory hijab laws, sparked the nationwide Woman, Life, Freedom protests.
The protests, during which time state security forces killed at least 550 protestors, became a symbol of resistance against state repression and a call for greater rights, especially for women.
On the second anniversary of her death, businesses and shop owners in several cities across Iran’s Kurdistan and West Azarbaijan provinces, including Sanandaj, Saqqez, Divandarreh, Mahabad, and Bukan, have joined in a general strike in remembrance of Amini and the start of the uprising.
A number of shopkeepers and business owners in Kurdistan province, including the cities of Marivan, Dehgolan, and Kamyaran, have also joined the strikes. In West Azarbaijan province, additional strikes were reported in Piranshahr and Oshnavieh, while businesses in Kermanshah also participated.
The Iranian government has heightened its security presence, particularly in Saqqez, Mahsa Amini’s hometown. In addition to roadblocks and restrictions around Aichi Cemetery, reports indicate that Revolutionary Guards have been deployed to enforce the restrictions, preventing gatherings and visits by mourners.
The threats against Amini’s family come as part of a broader effort by the Iranian authorities to suppress public commemoration of her death, fearing a resurgence of protests similar to those that followed her death in 2022.
Iran’s security agencies have also warned media outlets not to publish anything about Mahsa Amini on Sunday, according to information received by Iran Internationals. Journalists have been threatened not to post anything on their social media accounts regarding this matter.
