Killing of Kian Pirfalak

Kian Pirfalak
The Pirfalak family in 2023
The Pirfalik family holding a portrait of Kian
Born11 June 2013[1]
Died16 November 2022(2022-11-16) (aged 9)
Izeh, Khuzestan, Iran
Cause of deathShooting by security forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran[2][3][4]
Resting placeParchestan-e Gurui, Central District, Izeh County
NationalityIranian
Known forOne of the youngest victims of the crackdown on the Mahsa Amini protests

Kian Pirfalak (Persian: کیان پیرفلک; 11 June 2013 – 16 November 2022) was a nine-year-old Iranian boy who was killed in Izeh during the crackdown on the Mahsa Amini protests. He was shot by government security forces while sitting in his parents' vehicle during the attack on Izeh market.[2][3][4] His father, Meysam Pirfalak, was critically injured in the assault and was hospitalized.[5][6]

Pirfalak's mother and other family members who witnessed the incident blame the attack on Iranian security forces.[7] Islamic Republic news agencies, including IRNA, initially blamed Pirfalak's death on ISIS terrorists, circulating a statement attributed to the group claiming responsibility for the shooting.[4] BBC Monitoring, however, investigated the statement and concluded that it was fake.[8]

Pirfalak's death sparked nationwide outrage against the government and its use of extreme lethal force against protestors.[9][10][11] He is thought to be the youngest victim of the government suppression of protests in the wake of the death of Mahsa Amini.[9][12][13]

In 2023, the Supreme Court of the Islamic Republic of Iran issued a death sentence for Abbas Mujahed Kurkur after he was tortured in prison and they obtained a forced confession.[14]

Incident

On 16 November 2022, during the crackdown on the Mahsa Amini protests in the city of Izeh, there was an armed attack on Izeh the market by government security forces. Nine-year-old Kian Pirfalak, who was sitting in his parents' vehicle, was shot by government security forces during the attack.[2][3][4] His father, Meysam Pirfalak, was also critically injured in the assault and was hospitalized.[5][6] Kian Pirfalak was among the seven people who died during the attack, as were two teenagers, Artin Rahmani and Sepehr Maghsoodi (who was shot in the head).[13][15][16][17]

Attribution of blame

Pirfalak's mother and other family members who witnessed the incident blame the attack on Iranian security forces.[7] A relative of Pirfalak told Radio Farda that security agents had opened fire on the car where Pirfalak was sitting.[4] A bullet had gone through Pirfalak's lung.[18][15] His father was also seriously injured and was later hospitalized.[19][18] His mother, Zeinab Moulai denies the government's account of events, and said her son was killed by security forces.[20][11]

The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), Fars News Agency and other Iranian news outlets initially attributed the killings to ISIS terrorists rather than the state's security forces.[4][21] They circulated a statement purportedly from the terrorist group claiming responsibility for the shooting.[4] An investigation by BBC Monitoring concluded that the statement was fake.[8]

Iranian authorities then attributed the deaths of Pirfalak and others to four men: Bahman Bahmani, Hossein Saeedi, Mahmoud Ahmadi, and Abbas Mujahed Kurkur. Two of the men were killed in an attack by IRGC forces, while Kurkur was later tortured to obtain a forced confession and was sentenced to death.[14]

Funeral

Kian Pirfalak's grave
Kian Pirfalak's grave

Pirfalak's family placed his body on ice, refusing to keep it at the morgue[4] due to the fear of security forces stealing the child's body, as that has happened in many cases.[4] Hundreds of people gathered at Pirfalak's funeral and chanted anti-regime slogans in protest of his death.[13][22][19][23]

"Hear it from me about how the shooting happened so they can't say it was by terrorists, because they're lying," Pirfalak's mother Zeinab Molaie told mourners at his funeral.[4] During the ceremony, Pirfalak's mother criticized the Islamic Republic's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei through a poem, which read: "How's Mister Seyyed Ali [Khamenei] doing? He has a long beard coming down to his chest! A chest full of hatred - his heart is like stone - all he says is nonsense!"[20][24]

Impact

Prifalak appearing in a mural commemorating the victims of the Islamic regime in Iran, in Nazareth. (bottom left)

Pirfalak's death sparked an increase in nationwide protests,[19][16] and international support.[25] After Pirfalak's funeral, Ruhollah Khomeini's childhood home was set on fire on 17 November 2022; which is being used as a commemorative museum and located in the city of Khomeyn.[26][10][16] Protests at the University of Tehran's Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences displayed photos of Pirfalak.[27]

Days after Pirfalak's death, UNICEF issued a statement condemning the death and detention of children in the wake of the 2022 protests in Iran.[28][3][29]

A viral video circulated online of young Pirfalak testing his hand-made boat, and he stated, "in the name of the God of rainbows."[10][30] The stanza "In the Name of the Lord of the Rainbow" is a poem by Mahmoud Purohab (Persian: محمود پورهاب) which is included in Persian 3rd grade elementary school book.[30] As a result, many memorials about Pirfalak have referenced the God of rainbows.[30]

Pouya Molaeirad, a relative of Kian Pirfalak's mother, was shot and killed by Iranian security agents on 11 June 2023, during a memorial service for Kian. Eyewitnesses and videos shared on social media showed Molaeirad being shot at Pirfalak's burial site in the village of Parchestan, Izeh, amid a heavy security presence. Iranian officials claimed that Molaeirad was an attacker who was shot in self-defense, but his family and social media users disputed this account.[31][32][4][33]

See also

References

  1. ^ "سالروز تولد کیان پیرفلک؛ ایرانیان در شهرها و کشورهای مختلف سالگرد تولد او را گرامی داشتند". Iran International (in Persian). 10 June 2023. Archived from the original on 10 June 2023. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  2. ^ a b c "Iran: Killings of Children during youthful Anti-Establishment Protests". Amnesty International. 9 December 2022. Archived from the original on 10 December 2022. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d Moshtaghian, Artemis; Karadsheh, Jomana; Alam, Hande Atay (19 November 2022). "Children's deaths 'must stop' in Iran, says UNICEF, as protests continue". CNN. Archived from the original on 9 December 2022. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Wintour, Patrick (17 November 2022). "Iran protests: family of boy, 9, killed in night of violence blame attack on security forces". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 17 November 2022. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  5. ^ a b Fassihi, Farnaz (19 November 2022). "Iranian Protesters Attack Khomeini's Childhood Home as Unrest Spreads". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 21 January 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  6. ^ a b پدر کیان پیرفلک برای مداوا به تهران اعزام شد [The Father of Kiyan Pirfalak bara-ye Modava be Tehran Ezam shod]. www.jahannews.com (in Persian). 19 November 2022. Archived from the original on 14 December 2022. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
  7. ^ a b "Iranian protesters chant anti-regime slogans at boy's funeral". The Guardian. 18 November 2022. Archived from the original on 19 November 2022. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  8. ^ a b "Iran Says Seven Killed In 'Terrorist Attack' In Izeh Amid Protests". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Archived from the original on 9 December 2022. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  9. ^ a b "The killing of a 9-year-old boy further ignites Iran's anti-government protests". The Washington Post. 18 November 2022. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on 19 November 2022. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  10. ^ a b c Johnston, Holly (18 November 2022). "Iran: crowds cheer as Ayatollah Khomeini's ancestral home burns". The National. Archived from the original on 19 November 2022. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  11. ^ a b Williams, Stuart (18 November 2022). "Angry Funerals Spark New Protests In Iran". Barrons.com. Archived from the original on 18 November 2022. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  12. ^ "Angry funerals spark new protests in Iran". The Manila Times. France-Presse Agence. 20 November 2022. Archived from the original on 20 November 2022. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  13. ^ a b c Fassihi, Farnaz (19 November 2022). "Iranian Protesters Attack Khomeini's Childhood Home as Unrest Spreads". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 21 January 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  14. ^ a b "Confirmation of Death Sentence for Mujahed Kurkur Raises Concerns of Imminent Execution". Hengaw Organization for Human Rights. 25 December 2023. Archived from the original on 30 December 2023. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  15. ^ a b Gritten, David (17 November 2022). "Iran protests: Two boys shot dead by security forces, family sources say". BBC News. Archived from the original on 20 November 2022. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  16. ^ a b c "Iran protests escalate amid funerals for children reportedly killed by regime". CBS News. 18 November 2022. Archived from the original on 20 November 2022. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  17. ^ Wintour, Patrick (17 November 2022). "Iran protests: family blame death of boy (9) on security forces". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 21 November 2022. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  18. ^ a b "اعتراض‌های ایران؛ د ر ایذه چه گذشت؟" [Iran's protests; What happened in Izeh?]. BBC News فارسی (in Persian). 17 November 2022. Archived from the original on 20 December 2022. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  19. ^ a b c "م ادر کیان پیرفلک در مراسم خاکسپاری او: نگویید تروریست‌ها بودند،‌ ماموران ماشین ما را به رگبار بستند" [Kian Pirflek's funeral ceremony; Terrible details from his mother: "They lie, it's the work of terrorists, they shelled our car."]. BBC News فارسی (in Persian). 18 November 2022. Archived from the original on 18 November 2022. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  20. ^ a b "مادر کیان پیرفلک: مأموران ماشین را به رگبار بستند – DW – ۱۴۰۱/۸/۲۷" [Kian Pirflek's mother: The officers shot the car]. Deutsche Welle (DW) (in Persian). Archived from the original on 19 November 2022. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  21. ^ "روایت مادر کیان پیرفلک از شهادت پسرش با کدام ادعا سازگارتر است؟- اخبار خوزستان - اخبار استانها تسنیم" [Which claim is more consistent with the account of Kian Pirflek's mother about her son's testimony]. خبرگزاری تسنیم | Tasnim (in Persian). November 2022. Archived from the original on 18 November 2022. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  22. ^ "Furious Iran protests calls for 'Death to Khamenei' after child killed". United Kingdom KNews.MEDIA. 18 November 2022. Archived from the original on 19 November 2022. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  23. ^ "Iranians protest at funeral for child killed in shooting". ABC News. 18 November 2022. Archived from the original on 21 November 2022. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  24. ^ "شعرخوانی مادر کیان پیرفلک: "اتل متل توتوله، آسدعلی چجوره؟ یه ریش داره تا سینه، سینه پر زکینه"", VOA (in Persian), 18 November 2022, archived from the original on 19 November 2022, retrieved 19 November 2022
  25. ^ "تداوم تجمع‌های دانشجویی و اعتراضات خیابانی؛ از گرامیداشت کیان تا تجمعات متعدد در شهرهای مختلف دنیا" [Continuation of student gatherings and street protests; From honoring Kian to many gatherings in different cities of the world]. Euronews (in Persian). 19 November 2022. Archived from the original on 19 November 2022. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  26. ^ "Iranian protesters reportedly torch Ayatollah Khomeini's ancestral home". CBC/Radio-Canada. Thomson Reuters. 18 November 2022. Archived from the original on 11 January 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  27. ^ فردا, رادیو (20 November 2022). "اعتراضات دانشجویی در ایران، یکشنبه هم به طور گسترده ادامه دارد". رادیو فردا (in Persian). Archived from the original on 20 November 2022. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  28. ^ "یونیسف درباره کشته‌شدن کودکان در اعتراضات ایران: این وحشتناک است و باید متوقف شود" [UNICEF on the killing of children in Iran's protests: This is terrible and must be stopped]. رادیو فردا (in Persian). Archived from the original on 19 November 2022. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  29. ^ "Iran, la nostra indifferenza". la Repubblica (in Italian). 19 November 2022. Archived from the original on 20 November 2022. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  30. ^ a b c "هفته هنر و فرهنگ؛ از مرگ کیان رنگین کمان تا درگذشت تکمیل همایون" [Art and Culture Week: From the death of Kian Ranginkaman to the death of Tofer Humayun]. BBC News فارسی (in Persian). 19 November 2022. Archived from the original on 20 November 2022. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  31. ^ "Witnesses Say Iranian Security Agents Shot Relative Dead At Protester's Grave". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Archived from the original on 12 June 2023. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  32. ^ "Iran protests: Two boys shot dead by security forces, family sources say". BBC News. 17 November 2022. Archived from the original on 20 November 2022. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  33. ^ Fassihi, Farnaz (19 November 2022). "Iranian Protesters Attack Khomeini's Childhood Home as Unrest Spreads". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 21 January 2023. Retrieved 12 June 2023.