ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OPRESSORS BAN KHAVARAN CEREMONY

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• Political Prisoners in Exile reports: Opressors of the Islamic Republic have banned today’s Khavaran ceremony according to reports from Tehran, Friday 6 Shahrivar (28 August). In recent weeks families have been put under pressure and warned against going to Khavaran Cemetery to mark the 21st anniversary of the massacre of political prisoners at the mass grave. Today the agents of the oppressive regime brought to siege Khavaran and the surrounding area and did not allow anyone entry to Kahavaran Cemetery. We hereby give notice of this to all. It was reported that we went to Khavaran as planned and there was a large crowd there.

Security forces occupied the entire Khavaran road and would not allow entry to Golzar. They arrested anyone who protested or insisted on their right and discarded their identity cards. The forces aggressively blocked any gathering of the families. The families gathered in dispersed groups near their cars. From time to time forces on motorbikes attacked them, trying to disperse them further and make them leave the area. Many of the families hadn’t come at all. One of the mothers explained that many of the mothers, wives and sisters of the deceased had been called to the intelligence ministry and after interrogation were warned not to commemorate the anniversary and not to go to Khavaran.

A number of families were called and warned that if they attended the ceremonyor marked the occasion they would be responsible for whatever occurs there. It has been said that next of kin of others such as Nasser Zarfeshan had also been contacted and banned from going to Khavaran. After losing all hope of entering Khavaran Cemetery, I and members of some other families took the flowers that we had brought with us and placed them alongside the road. A group of people stayed as we were leaving in the hope that they could enter after the forces had left. The main gate of Khavaran Cemetery remains closed and noone can enter.

Last week a few people from the families had gone to Khavaran to leave flowers on the graves of their loved ones. To enter Khavaran you must use the gate above via the Bahai cemetery. It is said that all the trees that had been planted in Khavaran are now dry and shriveled.