Esmail Shokri, father of slain protester Sepehr Shokri, violently arrested at his son’s gravesite in Tehran

Hengaw – Sunday, March 22, 2026

Esmail Shokri, the father of Sepehr Shokri, one of the victims of the December Protests in Tehran, has been violently arrested by forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Hengaw Organization for Human Rights has learned that Esmail Shokri, a Tehran native, was detained at Behesht-e Zahra cemetery on Saturday, March 21, 2026.

A source close to the Shokri family stated that government forces threatened the grieving father, warning that he would be shot if he did not comply with the arrest.

This comes amid escalating pressure on the family. On March 18, 2026, security forces gathered at Sepehr Shokri’s gravesite, where they assaulted attendees, including his mother, and threatened them with gang rape.

Sepehr Shokri, 25, a resident of Tehran, was killed on January 8, 2026, after being directly shot by government forces during protests.