Iran International
Iran’s security forces on Wednesday arrested Mina Soltani, the mother of Shahryar Mohammadi, a protester killed during the 2022 protests in Bukan, West Azarbaijan province.
Soltan's arrest is part of a broader crackdown on activists and victims' families just days before the anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death, which ignited the Women, Life, Freedom uprising.
It is not clear whether she is being held in intelligence detention at Urmia or Urmia prison according to her family, sparking further concerns for her safety.
"Yesterday, a relative received a call from an unknown number. A man was on the line, then handed the phone to my mother, Mina. My mother was only able to say one sentence that she is being held in Urmia," Soltani’s daughter Asrin Mohammadi told Iran International.
Shahryar Mohammadi was shot by Iran’s security forces in Bukan 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 continuous pressure from the Iranian authorities.
This is not the first time the Mohammadi family has been targeted by security forces. Last year, on November 15, just a few days before the anniversary of Shahryar’s death, his sister, Asrin Mohammadi, was arrested during a raid. Speaking to Iran International from an undisclosed location for her safety, Asrin described the experience as violent, stating:
"Just days before the anniversary, they [security forces] savagely stormed in. Right in front of my mother’s eyes, they beat me, they beat my mother, and then they dragged me away by force."
Asrin recalled the threats her family faced when her brother Shahryar was killed.
"On November 18, 2022, Shahryar was surrounded inside a car by military vehicles, and they opened fire on him. Milad [Asrin and Shahryar’s brother], while holding Shahryar’s lifeless body in his arms and refusing to let them take him away, had a gun pressed to his legs, and they shot him twice. Even then, Milad didn’t let go of Shahryar. This time, they injected Milad with four sedatives. They then threatened my mother, saying, 'If you don’t cooperate and let us bury him now, we will take Milad, kill him, and bury Shahryar in a place where you’ll never know.' They forced the mother to go with them. Milad, after months of living in parks and streets with infected and injured legs, was eventually forced to flee Iran. Now, this year, they have arrested my mother - a woman whose one child was killed, one injured and displaced, and another arrested,” Asrin Mohammadi said.
Soltani’s arrest is part of a broader crackdown by the Iranian authorities on victims’ families as the country approaches the second anniversary of the Woman, Life, Freedom uprising, security forces attempt to stifle any potential unrest.
Last week, Iran's security forces arrested 16-year-old Ramyar Abubakri, brother of 21-year-old Zanyar Abubakri, who was fatally shot by state security forces on October 27, 2022, in Mahabad, Kurdistan. At the same time, security forces also raided the home of Siavash Soltani, son of 52-year-old Kobra Sheikhe-Saqqa, another victim killed by state forces on the same day in Mahabad.
UN’s Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran (FFMI) on Friday reported that between July and September 20224, “arrests and detention of family members of protesters killed in the context of the movement also intensified.”
“These arrests appear to be part of a broader State effort to stifle any potential form of dissent and to harass, intimidate and prevent victims, families and others expressing solidarity, from marking the second anniversary of the protests and the ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ movement,” the FFMI said.
The Islamic Republic has faced international condemnation for its handling of the protests and its treatment of detainees, with human rights groups expressing concern over the safety of slain protestors' families. The situation remains tense as the uprising anniversary draws near, with the possibility of further unrest and government crackdowns.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell underscored the bloc's resolute position on the issue, stating, "The European Union has repeatedly strongly cautioned Iran against transfers of ballistic missiles to Russia." He further mentioned that the EU would "respond swiftly and in coordination with international partners."
Borrell suggested that the EU’s response would likely include substantial new sanctions aimed at individuals and entities connected to Iran's ballistic missile and drone programs. This action comes on the heels of similar sanctions imposed earlier this week by France, Germany, and the UK.
The escalation follows US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's claim that Russia has received ballistic missiles from Iran, which could be deployed in Ukraine within weeks. In response, Iran denied these allegations and summoned the envoys of Britain, France, Germany, and the Netherlands, heightening the diplomatic standoff.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reiterated Tehran's denial, stating on social media, "Once again, US and E3 act on faulty intelligence and flawed logic - Iran has NOT delivered ballistic missiles to Russia. Period - Sanction addicts should ask themselves: how is Iran able to make & supposedly sell sophisticated arms? Sanctions are NOT a solution, but part of the problem."
The situation reflects broader geopolitical tensions, with Iran, North Korea, and Russia increasingly coordinating in support of Moscow's war in Ukraine, according to British Foreign Secretary David Lammy. He noted this emerging "entente" on Wednesday, following the announcement of new Western sanctions against Iran.
This alliance is seen as part of a larger "axis of upheaval" that includes Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea, which the chief of Britain’s army warned in July could necessitate readiness for confrontation within the next three years.
Adding to the tensions, Reuters reported on Friday that Russia started manufacturing a new long-range attack drone last year using Chinese engines and components, which has already been deployed in the Ukraine conflict. According to sources from a European intelligence agency and documents reviewed by Reuters, this development underscores Russia’s continued efforts to bolster its military capabilities.
Meanwhile, Russia's FSB security service announced on Friday that it had revoked the accreditation of six British diplomats in Moscow, accusing them of espionage and sabotage, a move reflecting the Kremlin’s frustration with what it perceives as London’s significant role in supporting Ukraine.
These developments highlight the growing alignment between Iran, Russia, and North Korea against Western interests. Iran's potential pursuit of nuclear capabilities and Russia's aggressive military actions in Ukraine further exacerbate security threats on the global stage.
Saeed Chalandari, CEO of Imam Khomeini Airport City, estimated that the newly imposed fee could generate up to twenty trillion rials (over 33 million dollars). Chalandari defended the move as a step towards implementing Iran's Seventh Development Plan, insisting that it is common practice in airports across the world.
The fee targets travelers over the age of two. Hormatollah Rafiei, head of the Association of Iranian Travel Agencies condemned the latest attempt at revenue generation, calling it “reaching into people’s pockets.” He accused the government of enabling "systematic extortion" in the travel industry, warning that this will only empower airlines and travel agencies to raise prices, further burdening Iranian travelers.
“This decision is opening the door to even more profiteering in the tourism sector,” Rafiei noted, pointing out that in addition to this new charge, Iranians are already paying departure taxes, airport fees, and inflated ticket prices.
It is not the first time Iranians have been forced to contend with excessive travel fees as a pipeline of funds. In 2019, the Iranian Parliament imposed a departure tax meaning citizens would pay 5,200,000 rials ($9) for their first trip abroad, and between 7,800,000 ($13) and over ten million rials ($16) for subsequent trips.
The government's defenders argue that these fees are necessary for development, with Chalandari comparing them to charges imposed in airports across Europe amid Iran’s crumbling infrastructure, inefficient bureaucracy, and rampant corruption.
Social media platforms have become the battleground for a public response. Many Iranians mockingly referred to the fee as "forced payment," highlighting the absurdity of funding "development" in a country where mismanagement has brought nearly all aspects of life to a standstill. One frustrated user on X remarked, “Who doesn’t know there’s no development?” Another sarcastically commented, "Soon enough, they’ll pass a law requiring everyone traveling abroad to bring gifts for parliament members."
The Iranian government’s attempt to draw parallels with practices at airports in countries like Turkey or Saudi Arabia rings hollow for many. "Exactly which development are they talking about?" asked one social media user, alluding to the country's lack of progress in providing basic services.
This new fee comes at a time when travel for most Iranians is already a luxury as inflation and unemployment skyrocket and the currency’s value continues to plummet. One in three Iranians now live below the poverty line, meaning many of those who travel are among the country's wealthy elite.
Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism recently reported that over 438,000 Iranians entered Turkey as tourists in the first two months of 2024, where they can enter visa free. According to GlobalData’s 2023 Travel & Tourism in Iran report, the most popular destinations for Iranians include Turkey, the UAE, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia.
But traveling abroad is increasingly unaffordable for tens of millions of Iranians, many of whom have taken to social media to call this €10 fee “the final straw” amid the worst economic times since the founding of the Islamic Republic.