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Families of Iran's Slain November 2019 Protesters Say Pursuit of Justice
Thwarted by Govt's Broken Promises

Michael Lipin

   WASHINGTON - One year after Iranians began anti -government protests
   that drew the deadliest crackdown by security forces in decades,
   families of some slain protesters have lost hope for justice from an
   Islamist theocracy that has offered them little but broken promises and
   threats.

   Iran's government sparked thenationwidedemonstrationson November 15,
   2019by ordering a 50% increase in the subsidized price of gasoline,
   further straining the finances of Iranians facing high unemployment and
   inflation in a shrinking economy under heavy U.S. sanctions.Security
   forces killed hundreds ofpeopleand arrested thousands more
   whilecrushingthe mostly peacefulprotests, in which some people also
   damaged public buildings and businesses.'¯

   In a series of interviews with Iran-based sources in late October, VOA
   Persian learned that families of five slain protesters have suffered
   similar kinds of disappointments in their pursuit of accountability for
   the killings of their loved ones. VOA cannot independently confirm the
   details of the families'interactions with Iranian authorities as it is
   barred from reportingfrominside Iran.

   Pouya Bakhtiari, 27,became one of the highest-profile casualties of the
   protests after his killing on November 16, 2019 by a gunshot to the
   head in thenorthern city of Karaj.The incidentdrove his father
   Manouchehr to become an outspoken government critic whom authorities
   have arrested twice.

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