Iranian authorities executed Kurdish activists Pejman Fatehi, Mohsen Mazloum, Mohammad Faramarzi and Vafa Azarbar on 29 January, but families of the deceased have still not been allowed to recover the bodies for burial. Grieving relatives have also been banned from holding mourning ceremonies.
Furthermore, security forces were stationed at the family homes of the executed men to prevent protest gatherings, under fears of unrest sparked by the executions. The families have been forced to seek alternative residences under the security measures.
The restrictions run contrary to both the Islamic Republic legislation and Sharia law, Fatehi’s wife Bayan Azimi told IranWire, asserting that efforts have been made to challenge rights violations, through engagement with international human rights representatives.
The situation has been met with silence and obstruction on the part of the Iranian authorities. Faramarzi’s wife Maria Mahmoudi shared the heartbreak and uncertainty of families who were told they would not be shown the bodies or allowed to conduct burials, only receiving a vague promise that the location of the graves would be revealed months later.
Blocking access to the bodies was a policy aimed at preventing protest rallies, Mahmoudi said, noting the Kurdish community’s propensity for vocal opposition to such injustices.
Fatehi’s mother, unable to come to terms with her son’s execution, said, “If my son had really been killed, they would have returned his lifeless body to me.”
