Fears Grow Over Missing Iranian Satirist

A week after the arrest and forced disappearance of prominent satirist Shaker Bouri, concerns are growing over his safety and whereabouts.

For as yet unknown reasons, the Abadan Intelligence Department to which he was summoned, has asked his family to declare him a missing person while the Dadban Legal Education and Counseling Center reported that the family's efforts to locate their son have so far been unsuccessful.

Bouri, a native of Khuzestan in southern Iran, was summoned to the Abadan Intelligence Department last Tuesday and has since been unaccounted for. Despite the presence of at least two witnesses who confirmed his entry into the building, the authorities have failed to provide any updates on his status.

Prior to his disappearance, plainclothes forces had raided Bouri's residence, confiscating his mobile phone before taking him into custody. It is believed to be related to his popularity on social media platforms for his lighthearted yet incisive critiques of Iranian officials and pressing societal issues.

Twitter users have expressed their mounting anxiety and frustration over the lack of information regarding his current whereabouts and wellbeing, echoing the sentiment with the hashtag #WhereIsShakerBouri. Many are drawing parallels to the tragic case of Amin Bazargar, a wrestler, whose remains were discovered over a year after his arrest.

Bouri's case is emblematic of a broader crackdown on social media activists, artists, and comedians in recent months by Iranian authorities.