Iran’s ongoing crackdown on dissent escalated Sunday as security forces killed a mourner, Pouya Molaeirad, at the memorial of his 9-year-old cousin, Kian Pirfalak. Kian is also believed to have been killed by government forces during the state’s violent repression of anti-government protests. This marks a further escalation in the Iranian government’s efforts to silence families seeking justice for loved ones.
Hadi Ghaemi, executive director of the Center for Human Rights in Iran, criticized the regime’s tactics. “Iranians cannot even mourn their dead without risking the wrath of the Islamic Republic’s killing machine,” Ghaemi said.
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The incident occurred as the Pirfalak family and supporters remembered Kian in Izeh amid a heavy state security presence. The government alleges that Pouya tried to drive his car into the police, a claim disputed by family members.
Last week, over 30 relatives of slain protesters, primarily mourning mothers, were arbitrarily detained by state security forces in Saqqez and Bukan. They were later abandoned on a deserted road after a 12-hour detention.
The Pirfalak family continues to face persecution for disputing the government’s version of the events around Kian’s killing.