Iran International could verify death of another protester in Lordegan
Iran International said it could verify the death of another protester in the town of Lordegan, identifying the victim as 22-year-old Ahmad Jalil, who was killed by direct gunfire from Iranian security forces during demonstrations on Thursday.
Jalil had previously taken part in protests during the 2022 “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement and was working as a ride-hailing driver, struggling financially, a relative told Iran International.
Sources close to the family said agents from the intelligence arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps later summoned Jalil’s relatives to the governor’s office, threatening not to release his body unless they gave a coerced interview blaming protesters for his death.
Sources also said authorities have attempted to pressure and financially coerce families of those killed in recent protests, in an effort to suppress accountability and control public narratives around the deaths.
Iranians would not allow foreign intervention in addressing the country’s problems, Esmaeil Baghaei, the Islamic Republic’s foreign ministry spokesperson, said responding to a warning by US President Donald Trump over the protests.
“Iranians, through dialogue and interaction with one another to resolve their problems, will not permit any form of foreign interference,” Baghaei wrote in a post on X as demonstrations entered its sixth consecutive day.
The father of Amir-Hessam Khodayarifard, a young protester killed in the city of Kuhdasht in Iran’s Lorestan province, said at his son’s funeral that Amir-Hessam was not a member of the Basij militia.
Speaking during the burial ceremony, he rejected any suggestion that his son was affiliated with pro-government forces.
Attendees at the funeral chanted slogans including “I will kill the one who killed my brother,” and “This is the final battle, Pahlavi will return,” reflecting the anger and defiance surrounding the killing.
