After the death of Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini, Iranian authorities targeted one of her uncles. Security forces then broke into the home of 30-year-old Safa Aeli and took him away. Since then there has been no trace of him.
Shortly before the first anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death, the authorities in Iran arrested an uncle of the young Kurd whose death a year ago sparked unprecedented protests. Safa Aeli, 30, was taken into custody by security forces on Tuesday in Sakes, the family’s hometown in the west of the country, and taken to an undisclosed location, said the organization Hengaw, the France-based organization Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN ) and the online media service 1500Taswe in separate communications.
According to Hengaw, the Iranian authorities arrived in Sakes with a five-vehicle convoy full of security forces to forcibly enter Aeli’s home without any legal legitimacy.
As media outside of Iran reported, Sakes is particularly in the sights of the authorities before Amini’s death. Accordingly, hotels were instructed not to accept guests from outside. In addition, several surveillance cameras were set up around Amini’s grave.
Activists criticize Iran’s authorities on the anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death
The 22-year-old Kurd died on September 16, 2022 after being arrested by the vice squad in Tehran. She is said to have violated the strict rules for wearing the Islamic headscarf. The authorities cited long-standing health problems as the cause of the young woman’s death. The opposition, however, accused Amini of having been beaten in police custody.
Her death sparked nationwide protests of unprecedented proportions against the leadership in Tehran. The authorities reacted with great severity. Hundreds of people were killed during the protests, including dozens of members of the security forces. Thousands of people have been arrested in connection with the protests.
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Activists accuse Tehran of stepping up repression against government critics and their family members before Amini dies. According to a report by the human rights organization Amnesty International, families of those killed have been subjected to abusive interrogation, arbitrary arrests, prosecutions and unfair sentences in recent months in an attempt to silence them and prevent further protests from flaring up.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
