Killing of Kian Pirfalak

Kian Pirfalak (Persian: کیان پیرفلک; 11 June 2013 – 16 November 2022) was an Iranian child who was killed at the attack on Izeh market, in a shooting by government security forces while he sat in his parents' vehicle in the city of Izeh, Iran.[2][3][4] His father Meysam Pirfalak was also critically injured in the assault and was hospitalized.[5][6] His mother and other family members who witnessed the incident blame the attack on Iranian security forces.[7] Islamic Republic news agencies, including IRNA, blamed his death on terrorists, circulating a statement attributed to ISIS, alleging that the group has claimed the deadly shooting that killed him.[8] BBC Monitoring, however, investigated the statement and concluded that it was fake.[9]

Kian Pirfalak
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
Resting placeParchestan-e Gurui, Central District, Izeh County
NationalityIranian
Known forThe youngest victim of crackdown on Mahsa Amini protests
The Pirfalak family in 2023
The Pirfalak family in 2023
Kian Pirfalak's grave
Kian Pirfalak's grave

Pirfalak’s death sparked a nationwide outrage against the government and its use of extreme lethal force against protestors.[10][11][12] He is considered the youngest known victim (either 9 or 10-years old) of suppressing the Mahsa Amini protests.[10][13][14]

History

Kian Pirfalak was shot and killed on 15 November 2022, in the city of Izeh.[14] Seven people died during this incident including two teenagers, Artin Rahmani, and Sepehr Maghsoodi (who was killed by a bullet in his head).[14][15][16][17]

The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), Fars News Agency and other Iranian news outlets attributed the assault to terrorists rather than the state's security forces, attributing the killings to ISIS.[18][19]

A relative of Pirfalak told Radio Farda that security agents had opened fire on the car where Pirfalak was sitting.[18] A bullet had gone through Pirfalak's lung.[20][15] His father was also seriously injured and was later hospitalized.[21][20] His mother, Zeinab Moulai denies the government's account of events, and claims her son was killed by security forces.[22][12]

Funeral

The family placed Pirfalak's body on ice, refusing to keeping it at the morgue.[18] This was due to the fear of security forces stealing the child's body, as that has happened in many cases.[18] Hundreds of people gathered at Pirfalak's funeral and chanted anti-regime slogans in protest of his death.[14][23][21][24]

"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.[18] 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!"[22][25]

Impact

Pirfalak's death sparked an increase in the nationwide protests,[21][16] and international support.[26] After Pirfalak's funeral, Ayatollah 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.[27][11][16] Protests at the University of Tehran's Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences displayed photos of Pirfalak.[28]

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.[29][30][31]

A viral video circulated online of young Pirfalak testing his hand-made boat, and he stated, "in the name of the God of rainbows."[11][32] 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.[32] As a result, many memorials about Pirfalak have referenced the God of rainbows.[32]

Pouya Molaeirad, a relative of Kian Pirfalak’s mother, was shot and killed by Iranian security agents on June 11, 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.[33][34][35][36]

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. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  2. "Iran: Killings of Children during youthful Anti-Establishment Protests". Amnesty International. 9 December 2022. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
  3. Alam, Artemis Moshtaghian,Jomana Karadsheh,Hande Atay (19 November 2022). "Children's deaths 'must stop' in Iran, says UNICEF, as protests continue". CNN. Retrieved 9 December 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. "Iran protests: family of boy, 9, killed in night of violence blame attack on security forces". the Guardian. 17 November 2022. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  5. Fassihi, Farnaz (19 November 2022). "Iranian Protesters Attack Khomeini's Childhood Home as Unrest Spreads". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  6. 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. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
  7. "Iranian protesters chant anti-regime slogans at boy's funeral". The Guardian. 18 November 2022. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  8. "Iran protests: family of boy, 9, killed in night of violence blame attack on security forces". the Guardian. 17 November 2022. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  9. "Iran Says Seven Killed In 'Terrorist Attack' In Izeh Amid Protests". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  10. "The killing of a 9-year-old boy further ignites Iran's anti-government protests". The Washington Post. 18 November 2022. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  11. Johnston, Holly (18 November 2022). "Iran: crowds cheer as Ayatollah Khomeini's ancestral home burns". The National. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  12. Williams, Stuart (18 November 2022). "Angry Funerals Spark New Protests In Iran". Barrons.com. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  13. "Angry funerals spark new protests in Iran". The Manila Times. France-Presse Agence. 20 November 2022. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  14. Fassihi, Farnaz (19 November 2022). "Iranian Protesters Attack Khomeini's Childhood Home as Unrest Spreads". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  15. Gritten, David (17 November 2022). "Iran protests: Two boys shot dead by security forces, family sources say". BBC News. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  16. "Iran protests escalate amid funerals for children reportedly killed by regime". CBS News. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  17. Wintour, Patrick (17 November 2022). "Iran protests: family blame death of boy (9) on security forces". The Irish Times. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  18. "Iran protests: family of boy, 9, killed in night of violence blame attack on security forces". the Guardian. 17 November 2022. ISSN 1756-3224. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  19. "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. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  20. "اعتراض‌های ایران؛ د ر ایذه چه گذشت؟" [Iran's protests; What happened in Izeh?]. BBC News فارسی (in Persian). 17 November 2022. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  21. "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. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  22. "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). Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  23. "Furious Iran protests calls for 'Death to Khamenei' after child killed | World | News". United Kingdom KNews.MEDIA. 18 November 2022. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  24. "Iranians protest at funeral for child killed in shooting". ABC News. 18 November 2022. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  25. "شعرخوانی مادر کیان پیرفلک: «اتل متل توتوله، آسدعلی چجوره؟ یه ریش داره تا سینه، سینه پر زکینه»", VOA (in Persian), retrieved 19 November 2022
  26. "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. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  27. "Iranian protesters reportedly torch Ayatollah Khomeini's ancestral home". CBC/Radio-Canada. Thomson Reuters. 18 November 2022.
  28. فردا, رادیو (20 November 2022). "اعتراضات دانشجویی در ایران، یکشنبه هم به طور گسترده ادامه دارد". رادیو فردا (in Persian). Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  29. "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). Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  30. Moshtaghian, Artemis; Karadsheh, Jomana; Alam, Hande Atay (19 November 2022). "Children's deaths 'must stop' in Iran, says UNICEF, as protests continue". CNN. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  31. "Iran, la nostra indifferenza". la Repubblica (in Italian). 19 November 2022. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  32. "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. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  33. Farda, RFE/RL's Radio. "Witnesses Say Iranian Security Agents Shot Relative Dead At Protester's Grave". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  34. "Iran protests: Two boys shot dead by security forces, family sources say". BBC News. 17 November 2022. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  35. 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. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  36. Fassihi, Farnaz (19 November 2022). "Iranian Protesters Attack Khomeini's Childhood Home as Unrest Spreads". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
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