By Omar | 2024-09-18

The killing of Milad Panahandeh, 26, a resident of Dehdasht city in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, by the Iranian police has sparked outrage among Iranians.

The chief of Yasuj Criminal Police shot Panahandeh twice in the head on September 1 in front of his mother outside his home in the village of Tal-e Kuchak.

Panahandeh was accused of killing an Afghan immigrant during violent clashes on July 2 in Dehdasht.

Local witnesses said a large contingent of police officers were deployed to arrest Panahandeh in connection with the murder and that he had planned to surrender peacefully.

The provincial police commander said Panahandeh tried to flee with the help of his family, leading to an armed standoff, IranWire reported.

Following the incident, local residents forced police out of the village with sticks and stones.

Panahandeh was a seasonal worker who supported his family of four, including two children ages two and four, through agriculture and livestock. The family lives in deep poverty, according to relatives.

Arbitrary killings

Iran's state and semi-official news agencies have labeled Panahandeh a "fugitive criminal," a label they often impose on individuals before any formal accusations or trials.

Many Iranians are concerned about the rising number of arbitrary killings and jailing of ordinary citizens by the police.

Panahandeh's killing is "a deliberate murder" and must be investigated, said Firoz, 34, a resident of Kerman.

"Only the courts may decide on retribution or the death of a criminal, not the police," he told Pishtaz, expressing his concern that the police officer who killed Panahandeh remains free and has not been held accountable for his actions.

Just days before Panahandeh's death, another young man in Lahijan district, Gilan province, died in police custody.

Thirty-six-year-old Mohammad Mir-Mousavi was detained by police last month on allegations of involvement in a street fight and later died after reportedly brutal torture.

"The police either lack knowledge of the law or don't value it," said Amir, 47, another Kerman resident.

Voiceless Iranians

The Iranian people are voiceless, said Meisam, 41, a resident of Mashhad.

"There is no justice in the judicial system. We have repeatedly seen innocent people being executed," he said. "Are seeking justice and demanding one's rights such a serious crime that they justify executing young people for it?"

Whenever Iranians raise their voices for justice, they are suppressed in the harshest way possible, said Hossein, 26, of Mashhad.

"No one in Iran is allowed to protest the actions of the security and judicial agencies, despite many innocent people being imprisoned or even executed," he told Pishtaz.

The Islamic Republic's prisons are filled with individuals who have been incarcerated for small offenses, he added.