Iran Focus
A group of friends were walking at an avenue in Independence Square in Mahabad at 22:30, when they were approached and attacked by an SSF convoy, plain-clothed Islamic vigilantes, and a number of agents of Irans dreaded Ministry of Intelligence and Security (VEVAK), according to several eye-witnesses.
The SSF fatally shot a young man by the name of Shoan Qaderi and critically injured two other individuals.
The security forces then proceeded with tying Qaderis body to a Toyota jeep and while driving dragged it in streets, according to the witnesses.
This barbaric and inhumane act was carried out to scare everybody so that they stop their anti-government protests, said one witness, who requested to remain anonymous.
Shoan was always active in demonstrations against the regime. Whenever there was a protest, he was always on the frontlines, said another witnessed, who claimed that he was a friend of Qaderi.
Minutes after Qaderis body was dragged throughout the town, several hundred local angry residents gathered in nearby streets and started to chant anti-government slogans.
Anti-riot police were brought in from the neighbouring towns of Miandoab and Naqadeh to stop the escalation of protests.
Several large anti-government demonstrations have rocked the town of Mahabad in recent month.
Residents believe that with the arrival of ultra-conservative Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the new President of Iran, security forces will have a freer reign to suppress dissent.
Ahmadinejad recently rejected a request by Kurdish Members of Parliament to allow ethnic Kurds into his cabinet.
