Intimidation Continues Against Family Of Murdered Teen

The family of Nika Shakarami, a 16-year-old abducted and murdered by security forces last year, continues to face state intimidation one year after her tragic death.

On Wednesday, her sister, Aida, disclosed that the security situation around her sister's grave has deteriorated over the past week, reporting having been victim of threats from unidentified individuals warning that if they visit Nika's grave, her mother Nasrin could face arrest.

Additionally, she revealed the Ministry of Intelligence has reluctantly permitted Nika's anniversary ceremony to proceed on Friday, contingent on the absence of violence.

Nika's final communication with a friend last September revealed that security forces were pursuing her on Keshavarz Boulevard in Tehran, after which she mysteriously disappeared. Her body, allegedly subjected to torture, abuse, and beatings by security forces, was identified by her family ten days later.

Later, the government agents seized Nika's body from Khorramabad and buried her secretly in a village in Lorestan, located in western Iran.

Over 500 civilians died in the wake of the uprising which followed the death in morality police custody of Mahsa Amini, including children and teens such as Nika.

Nika's family is not alone in suffering state intimidation. Just last week, Mahsa Amini's family were warned not to commemorate the anniversary of her death on September 16, closing access to the graveyard and arresting her father multiple times, including on the anniversary itself.