Saman Pashaei, brother of WLC activist Sardar Pashaei, was arrested by regime intelligence officials yesterday in Saqqez, Iran. Saman is a university professor and former wrestling champion. He was not politically affiliated with any organization. No reason or justification for his arrest has been provided by the regime.
Saman’s arrest is an attempt to silence his brother, who is active in the Iranian democratic opposition. This is a flagrant attempt by the regime to intimidate Iranian human rights activists through the use of violence against their families.
The Islamic Republic has a well established track record of forcibly disappearing political dissidents or their families in order to muzzle opposition. In 2019, they arrested Ali Alinejad, brother of Masih Alinejad, in an attempt to silence her.
The WLC calls on the international community to unequivocally condemn the cowardly actions of the Islamic Republic; we must hold the Iranian regime accountable for the lives and rights of dissident voices. We must raise and repeat the names of the victims. There can be no appeasement or negotiations with a government as cruel and barbaric as this one.
#WhereisSaman?
