In a harrowing tale of tragedy and injustice, an Iranian mother, Mahsa Yazdani, who had the courage to seek justice for her son’s violent demise at the hands of security forces, now faces a grievous 13-year prison sentence imposed by an Iranian court. The judicial ruling, delivered in response to her impassioned quest for justice through social media, has sent shockwaves throughout the nation.
Yazdani’s 20-year-old son, Mohammad Javad Zahedi, met a tragic end during an anti-regime protest in September 2022. His life was brutally extinguished when he fell victim to a barrage of close-range gunfire inflicted by security forces. Astoundingly, this bereaved mother has been convicted on multiple charges, including blasphemy, incitement, insulting the supreme leader, and the dissemination of anti-regime propaganda, as corroborated by human rights organizations and concerned family members. Tragically, the initial five years of her sentence will be devoid of any possibility of parole.
The searing images and videos of Zahedi’s lifeless body, punctuated by shotgun pellets, found their way onto social media platforms during the mass demonstrations, initially sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, a young Kurdish woman detained by Iran’s “morality police” for purportedly violating hijab norms.
According to her family, Zahedi endured multiple point-blank gunshots, mercilessly delivered to his back and head. This grisly truth was confirmed by a medical examiner’s report.
Following the heart-wrenching loss of her son, Mahsa Yazdani openly condemned the regime’s violent crackdown on protesters and passionately advocated for justice for her son and others who had perished during the demonstrations. However, her relentless pursuit of justice was soon quelled as she found herself arrested in her own home on August 22.
In response to this lamentable verdict and the prolonged prison term, the Center for Human Rights in Iran issued a vehement condemnation, decrying the sentence as “shameful.” They noted, “Hundreds of mothers in Iran have been thwarted in their quest for justice for their slain loved ones and have faced persecution for merely raising their voices.”
This disheartening development is part of a broader trend in which Iranian authorities have seemingly intensified their pursuit of families affected by the protests. As such, Mahsa Yazdani’s sentencing underscores the relentless pressure exerted upon the families of victims, as highlighted by Skylar Thompson, a representative from the civil rights organization Human Rights Activists in Iran.
In May 2023, the father and sister of Abolfazl Adinezadeh, a 17-year-old slain by security forces, were charged with “anti-government propaganda,” a case examined by their legal counsel. Subsequently, the family found themselves subjected to a distressing pattern of raids and threats by the regime’s agents.
Mashallah Karami, the father of Mohammad Mehdi Karami, a 22-year-old karate champion who was executed in January following his arrest during a street protest and allegations of killing a security officer, also faces a precarious situation. Mashallah Karami, who had publicly implored for clemency on behalf of his son and clamored for justice for the slain protesters on social media, was apprehended in August and is believed to remain in detention.
Concerns are mounting as human rights activists have highlighted the vulnerability of families directly impacted by the 2022 hijab protests, many of whom apprehensively await the possibility of further arrests and convictions, as the regime seeks to stifle their voices.
Speaking under the cloak of anonymity, a close relative of Kumar Daroftadeh, a 16-year-old victim of security forces’ aggression in October 2022, articulated the sentiments of resilience shared by many bereaved families. “Mothers are being persecuted for seeking justice for their sons murdered by the regime. We are a nation that has paid with our blood for freedom,” the relative stated. The message was unequivocal: these courageous mothers, including Mahsa Yazdani, are unwavering in their determination to persist in their quest for justice, for bloodshed cannot be washed away through intimidation.
Human rights organizations operating within Iran assert that more than 380 protesters met their tragic end, and over 16,000 were arrested in the aftermath of Mahsa Amini’s death, figures vehemently contested by the Iranian authorities.