The family of Mahsa Amini are being held under house arrest at their home in Iran, her cousin has confirmed to The National.
Amini's parents and her brother have been “detained in their home” by authorities since Wednesday, Erfan Mortazei said, speaking from the Kurdish region of Iraq.
Thousands of people on Wednesday descended upon the cemetery in the city of Saqez where Amini's grave is located to mark 40 days since her death. Security forces opened fire on mourners gathered at her gravesite in the Kurdish city.
On Tuesday, state media released a purported statement from Amini's family saying they would not be holding a remembrance ceremony the following day. Mr Mortazei said this statement was written by authorities and it was immediately rejected by the family.
Her brother has been threatened with arrest in recent days, he added.
“Zhina and thousands like her sacrificed their lives so that the Iranian people could live in freedom,” said Mr Mortazei, referring to Mahsa by her Kurdish birth name. “I hope the Iranian people will continue to take to the streets until they achieve their goals.”
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Iranians protest in Tehran after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after she was detained by the morality police in September. AP Photo -
Protests have intensified despite a vicious government crackdown that has left as many as 200 people dead, although estimates of the toll by rights groups vary. AP Photo -
At least eight members of the security forces have also been killed or wounded during the unrest and there are signs that violent resistance could be intensifying. AP Photo -
A fire burns at the office of the governor of Mahabad, in the West Azerbaijan province of Iran. AFP -
Protesters gather in the a courtyard of Chitgar complex in western Tehran. AFP -
Iranian protesters continue to defy a deadly crackdown by security forces. AFP -
A woman cuts her hair at the grave site of Nika Shahkarami in the city of Khorramabad, during a reported memorial held to mark 40 days since the death of the 16-year-old. AFP -
A woman not wearing a headscarf stands on top of a vehicle as thousands make their way towards Saqez, Mahsa Amini's home town, to mark 40 days since her death in police custody. AFP -
Iranian riot police prepare to confront protesters the capital, Tehran. AFP -
Iranian protesters surge forward amid clashes with riot police in Tehran. AFP -
A crowd blocks an intersection during a protest to mark 40 days since Amini's death in custody. AP Photo -
Iranian police arrive to disperse a protest in Tehran. AP Photo -
Protesters chant at a vigil for Amini at the Khajeh Nasir Toosi University of Technology in Tehran. Reuters -
Students at Sharif University of Technology attend a protest. AP Photo -
Police outside Sharif University during a student protest. AP Photo -
Students at the university protest over the death of Amini, who was in 'morality police' custody for allegedly breaking strict rules on head coverings for women. AP Photo -
The students' banner says: 'No to mandatory hijab'. AP Photo
Amini has become the face of the fiercest protests Iran has seen in decades, sparked by her death in morality police custody in September.
Rights groups say at least 141 people have been killed, including 29 children, in the nationwide demonstrations.
The family do not feel free to mourn Mahsa, her cousin said.
Her brother last visited Amini's grave on Monday, but security forces have been a “nuisance”, he added.
“They are always making trouble.”
On Thursday, large crowds gathered at the grave of 16-year-old Nika Shakarami in Khorramabad to mark 40 days since her death.
Rights groups said live ammunition was also fired at hundreds of people gathered at the cemetery in Lorestan province.
The teenager was killed after attending protests in Tehran. While authorities have said she fell off a building, her mother has publicly rejected those claims, saying her daughter was killed by authorities and the family pressured into silence.
