Protester Mojahed Kourkour Sentenced to Death as Cover-up for Kian Pirfalak’s State Killing

Abbas Kourkouri, known as Mojahed Kourkour was arrested during the nationwide protests in Izeh on December 20. The Islamic Republic’s judiciary announced news of his death sentence at the preliminary trial at the Ahvaz Revolutionary Court today. 

According to the judiciary, Mojahed Kourkour’s charges are: “moharebeh (enmity against god) through drawing a weapon with the intention to kill people and create fear, efsad-fil-arz (corruption on earth) committed through firing a war weapon, disrupting public order, causing harm to physical integrity of seven people including Kian Pirfalak, causing major damage to public and private property, forming a baghy group and its membership through armed rebellion against the government (baghy/armed rebellion).”

Kian Pirfalak’s parents, uncle and lawyer have previously stated that his murder was carried out by security forces and they have no complaints against Mojahed Kourkour.

Speaking to Iran Human Rights, an informed source said: “Mojahed Kourkour wasn’t even at the protest on the night of November 16 when seven people including Kian Pirfalak were killed. He took to the streets in protest to these brutal killings the next day. That’s when he was identified and arrested 40 days later.”

On December 20, security forces attacked a house in Porsourakh village in Ghaleh Tal city, located in Khuzestan province. Two people named Hassan Saeedi and Mahmood Ahmadi were killed in the attack and two people were arrested. Mojahed Kourkour was shot during his arrest.

Mojahed’s foced confessions were aired on December 30 prior to the commencement of his legal proceedings. According to informed sources, Human Seidali who was arrested with Mojahed, and Bahman Bahmani are co-defendants in the case while “Bahman Bahmani wasn’t even with them and wasn’t even in Porsourakh village on the day of the attack by security forces. But they forced him to say that he was with them.”

The source continued: “So far, they haven’t allowed Mojahed Kourkour’s family to visit him and the family don’t even know where exactly he’s being held. He has only been permitted to make calls to his family on an irregular basis. In the calls, he said the bullet was removed from his leg but didn’t complete the treatment, to the point that he nearly lost his leg. They also didn’t let the family hire a lawyer for him and a court-appointed lawyer was present at his trial.”

Mojahed Kourkour has also been indicted by Branch One of the Ahvaz Criminal Court for the murder of Kian Pirfalak. It seems that authorities want to cover up the role of their repressive forces in the murder of seven people including Kian Pirfalak by executing innocent protesters. Iran Human Rights calls on the international community to take urgent action to prevent his execution while there is still time.