Witnesses Say Iranian Security Agents Shot Relative Dead At Protester's Grave

Pouya Molaeirad, a relative of Kian Pirfalak's mother, appeared to be shot on June 11 during a memorial service.

Eyewitnesses say a relative of Kian Pirfalak, a 9-year-old who died during nationwide protests, was shot and killed by Iranian security agents following a confrontation at Pirfalak's burial site in the village of Parchestan, Izeh.

Accounts from those present and videos shared on social media appear to show Pouya Molaeirad, a relative of Pirfalak's mother, being shot on June 11 during a memorial service.

They added that following the incident, Molaeirad's body was transferred to the morgue of Izeh Martyrs Hospital, where family members were confronted by security forces.

Iranian officials, through state media, claimed law enforcement was attacked by a vehicle and responded by shooting at the attacker. However, social media users and relatives of Pouya Molaeirad dispute this account.

Pirfalak was one of several Izeh residents killed when government forces opened fire on protesters in Izeh city on the evening of November 16, 2022. Following the shootings, Kian's father, Meysam Pirfalak, was severely injured and hospitalized for two months, unaware of his son's death for weeks.

Government officials labelled the Izeh massacre as a "terrorist" act and attributed it to government opponents. However, Pirfalak's mother refuted these claims at her son's funeral, stating that government forces had fired a barrage of bullets at their family car.

The incident on June 11 occurred amid a heavy security presence in Izeh as the city prepared for a memorial service for Pirfalak. Some observers have suggested that security officers have been trying to scare people away from attending the service by creating tension and conflict.

Tensions between the government and the families of those killed in nationwide protests over the September 2022 death in police custody of Mahsa Amini have been growing in recent weeks.

The government has been accused of intensifying pressure on the families of the deceased through collective arrests, attacks on the graves of slain protesters, and the summoning of grieving families by security agencies.

Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda