Retired Aliabad-e Katul teacher dies after daughter's arrest

Abdollah Abdollahi, a retired teacher of Quran and religious studies in Aliabad-e Katul in Golestan province, took his own life after his daughter Nahal was arrested at a birthday party and judicial officials insisted on keeping her in detention. Nahal Abdollahi, about 25, is still held in Amirabad prison in Gorgan.

The news was first published by Iran International, based on information from sources close to the case, and no official body has commented on it so far.

About 30 people arrested at a birthday party

According to these sources, last week Nahal Abdollahi invited some 30 to 40 friends to a birthday party at the newly opened "Atlan" hotel in Aliabad. Plainclothes security agents entered the venue by deception and, after a confrontation with the hotel manager, arrested about 30 of the guests and seized the mobile phones of a number of them. Some of those arrested were released on bail, but others, including Nahal, remained in detention.

Nahal Abdollahi was a young blogger who posted videos on Instagram under the name "Zhinora". Her mother died several years ago during the COVID pandemic.

A father's failed efforts and the prosecutor's reply

Nahal's father went to judicial officials again and again to secure his daughter's release, but his efforts led nowhere. According to sources close to the family, he was under severe psychological pressure and blame, and finally attempted suicide. He was taken to hospital in Aliabad, remained in a coma for several days and died.

According to the same sources, when the family informed judicial officials of the father's critical condition, the prosecutor replied: "Her father has to die." The family has not yet managed to have Nahal released and has voiced concern about the psychological pressure on her.

Judicial pressure on citizens

In the same days, Tehran's prosecutor, at a meeting of the chastity and hijab working group, ordered unlicensed tourism tour pages online to be blocked within a week, calling their content "immoral". This week also brought news of new arrests in Isfahan province, including the arrest of a citizen in Khansar on charges of calling for a gathering, three weeks after a 17-year-old died in custody.

A father who knocked on every door to free his daughter lost his life after the prosecutor brushed him aside.