In the early hours of Wednesday, June 11, state-run media in Iran reported that the death sentence of Mojahed Kurkur, one of the detainees from the 2022 nationwide uprising, had been carried out in prison. Hours before the announcement, reports circulated on social media that his family had been summoned for a final visit.
On December 20, 2022, Mojahed Kurkur was arrested during a raid by security forces on the village of “Persurakh” near Izeh, in southwestern Iran. In March 2023, Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court in Ahvaz sentenced him to death on charges of “waging war against God” and “corruption on Earth.” The sentence was upheld by Branch 39 of Iran’s Supreme Court in January 2024 and referred to the Izeh court for implementation.
Mojahed Kurkur executed on the birthday of Kian Pirfalak
June 11 marks the birthday of Kian Pirfalak. Mojahed Kurkur, who was initially accused of killing him but was later found not to be the shooter, was executed on Kian’s birthday under charges of “waging war against God” and “corruption on Earth.”
Kian Pirfalak, who was born on June 11, 2013, would have celebrated his 12th birthday today.
Kian Pirfalak was a child who was brutally killed by direct gunfire from Iran’s regime security forces during the 2022 uprising. In an effort to cover up its role in this state killing, Iran’s regime charged Mojahed Kurkur with murdering Kian.
Mah-Monir Molaei-Rad, Kian’s mother, repeatedly emphasized that the regime is attempting to hide the role of its forces in Kian’s death, sharing a photo of herself shaking hands with Mojahed Kurkur’s mother. Meysam Pirfalak, Kian’s father, who was also injured in the shooting, published a video calling the accusations against Kurkur baseless.
In the video, he said: “I seek justice for my son’s blood. I have not and will not file any complaint against Mojahed Kurkur or the youths of Izeh, because my husband and I saw with our own eyes that security forces, under the command of Commander Eydi Alipour, opened fire on our car, wounded me, and killed my son.”
In the years since, the regime’s pressure on the Pirfalak family and other justice-seeking families of the Mahsa movement has continued. Pouya Molaei-Rad, the cousin of Mah-Monir Molaei-Rad, was shot by police officers at Kian’s gravesite during his 2023 birthday ceremony. He was injured by direct gunfire and died after being transferred to the hospital.
Mojahed Kurkur’s family has not been spared from the regime’s pressure either. His sister, Negar Kurkur, who was a vocal advocate for justice, worked to prove her brother’s innocence until her death from cancer.
The announcement of Mojahed Kurkur’s execution immediately triggered a wave of anger and grief among social media users.
With the execution of Mojahed Kurkur, the number of protesters hanged since the 2022 nationwide uprising has reached at least 11. Previously, Mohammad Mehdi Karami, Mohammad Hosseini, Mohsen Shekari, Majidreza Rahnavard, Majid Kazemi, Saeed Yaghoubi, Saleh Mirhashemi, Milad Zohrevand, Mohammad Ghobadlou, and Reza Rasaei were executed on similar charges, in legal processes that human rights organizations have called “unfair.”
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While the executions continue, dozens of other detainees are still awaiting final verdicts—sentences that, given the severe charges brought against them, could also lead to executions. International human rights organizations have repeatedly warned against the Iranian regime’s escalating repression and its use of capital punishment as a tool of political retribution.
