Mother of slain protester faces trial for hijab defiance, advocacy

The mother of a protester who was killed during Iran's widespread 2022 protests now faces trial over alleged hijab violations and her advocacy efforts for her son, her family announced.

Mina Soltani has been ordered to appear before Branch 101 of Bukan’s Criminal Court on Saturday to face charges of propaganda against the Islamic Republic and appearing in public without mandatory hijab, her daughter Asrin Mohammadi announced in a post on Instagram.

"In the month when the Islamic Republic celebrates its revolution, a mother seeking justice is put on trial while the killers walk free," Asrin Mohammadi added condemning the summons.

Shahryar Mohammadi was shot by Iran’s security forces in Bukan in northwestern Iran on November 18, 2022. He later died from his injuries after being transferred to a local hospital.

His family including his mother, Mina Soltani, his sister Asrin Mohammadi and brother Milad Mohammadi have since become outspoken advocates for justice and have faced pressure from the Iranian authorities.

Soltani was arrested last September as part of a broader crackdown on activists and victims' families just days before the anniversary of the death in morality police custody of a young woman named Mahsa Amini, igniting the Women, Life, Freedom uprising. She was later released on bail.

This is not the first time the Mohammadi family has been targeted by Iranian authorities. In November 2023, just a few days before the anniversary of Shahryar’s death, his sister, Asrin Mohammadi, was arrested during a raid. She was later released on bail.