Mother of Victim of Iran Protest Crackdown Arrested

The Islamic Republic's authorities have arrested the mother of a 21-year-old Iranian man killed by security forces during last year's anti-establishment protests.

Farzaneh Barzekar, the mother of Erfan Rezaei, was arrested on September 3 after attending a memorial ceremony for Javad Rouhi, a protester who recently died in prison.

Barzekar has been a vocal critic of the government since her son lost his life during protests in the northern city of Amol on September 21. 

She has been prevented from visiting his gravesite and threatened by security forces.

Her arrest comes amid an intensifying crackdown on dissent in Iran ahead of next month’s anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death in police custody, with dozens of journalists, activists and lawyers being arrested in recent months.

Amnesty International has condemned the Iranian government's treatment of the families of protest victims, calling it a "campaign of intimidation." 

In a report published on August 21, the London-based human rights watchdog documented the cases of 36 victims’ families from 10 provinces across the country who have been subjected to human rights violations in recent months.