19-Year-Old Molaei-Rad: Shot Dead at Close Range By Security Forces

On the evening of June 11, tragedy struck as Pouya Molaei-Rad, a 19-year-old student, met his untimely demise due to gunfire from security forces. 

The government's narrative surrounding his death has been plagued by many contradictions, as previously shown by IranWire. New information is now shedding further light on the circumstances surrounding this murder.

Among those called in for questioning by the security agencies following Pouya's death was Mahmonir Molaei-Rad, his cousin and the mother of Kian Pirfalak, a nine-year-old boy who was killed during nationwide protests last year.

Pouya's body was taken hostage by security forces. But security institutions conditioned its hand-over to the family to Mahmonir’s admission that security agents were not responsible for her son’s death.

Mahmonir rejected that and her Instagram page was blocked. Her current whereabouts are unknown.

Kian and several other Izeh residents lost their lives when government forces fired live ammunition on protesters in the south-western city on November 16.

Officials have labeled the massacre as a "terrorist" act and attributed it to government opponents. Pirfalak's mother rejected the claims at her son's funeral, accusing security forces of firing bullets at the family’s car.

Security officers had tried to scare Mahmonir and other people away from attending a memorial service for Kian on June 11, which would have marked the boy’s 10th birthday.

A source close to the Molaei-Rad family gave details about the circumstances surrounding Pouya’s death, telling IranWire: “Pouya, a young man full of life, had embarked on a journey with the intention of visiting” the cemetery where Kian is laid to rest. 

Pouya was driving at speed on a road that was “treacherously narrow” when he hit a police officer who was standing in the middle of the road, “engrossed in a conversation on his mobile phone.”

Pouya lost control of his vehicle and the officer, named Mohammad Ghanbari, died.

Another acquaintance of the family quoted witnesses as saying that Pouya “emerged from the wreckage, only to be met with a barrage of bullets from the security forces.”

"The police forces initially informed the grieving family that their loved one had perished in an accident, neglecting to mention the fatal shooting."

"No one was permitted to remain at the scene, and those daring to ask questions were promptly escorted away. Regrettably, everybody was subjected to immense pressure."

Approximately half an hour after the fatal shooting, the security forces transported Pouya's lifeless body to the hospital in Izeh, where he was pronounced dead. 

According to a reliable source, the Intelligence Department subjected Pouya’s relatives to “immense pressure."

Someone close to the family adds: "When Pouya collided with Mohammad Ghanbari, his car veered off the road, and Pouya exited the vehicle and surrendered. Witnesses present at the scene observed Pouya stepping out of the car. After he approached the officers, two narratives emerged, both confirming that Pouya was shot at an extremely close range."

The pictures showing the bullet entry points on Pouya's body reveal “burn marks,” which the source said can occur in two scenarios: “When the gun is placed against the body and fired, or when it is fired from an incredibly short distance, just a few steps away."

According to the government's narrative, Pouya ran over Ghanbari and then his car was fired upon.

However, the informed source asserts that the angle at which the bullets entered the body indicates a direct and straight trajectory.

"We have concluded with certainty that these bullets were fired directly and from an extremely close range. Pouya was in no position to resist and was killed in the most brutal manner. Pouya was intentionally shot from an incredibly close distance."

"The security forces manipulated the situation so that the primary concern for the family who has lost its child became retrieving his lifeless body. It is excruciating for parents who have lost their young child to have to plead for the hand-over of their child's body, as their main priority is to give their child a proper burial."

The propaganda machinery of the Islamic Republic sprang into action immediately after Pouya’s death, disseminating the government's narrative and leaving no room for alternative views.

Initially, most Iranian media outlets reported that a police officer “dedicated to maintaining security” was “martyred” after being run over by a car.

Shortly afterward, Fars news agency, which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), quoted Izeh’s Prosecutor Yar Mohammad Resalati as stating: "This evening, at one of the city's entry points, a car with a distinct identity intentionally collided with security forces during a traffic stop, leading to the officer's death at the scene."

The prosecutor confirmed that the driver of the car died after being shot by the officers.

A person close to the Molaei-Rad family says that "Pouya was directly shot by the forces stationed at the checkpoint."

"In the forensic photographs, we identified three bullets that were fired from an extremely close range. Two bullets were aimed precisely at the heart and penetrated the chest, while one bullet passed through the arm.”

"One of the fatal bullets was fired from a Kalashnikov weapon and the other bullet entered approximately 5 centimeters away, likely from a Colt (handgun) because of the small entry point. Pouya's hand was targeted precisely by a smaller firearm."

"A shot from a handgun fired at such close range is lethal, especially when the chest is targeted. Normally, a shot from the same weapon at a distance of 10 meters would not be fatal, but this distance was so small," the source adds.

 "It seemed as if the weapon was pressed against his chest."

Sources close to the family say that Pouya surrendered before stepping out of the car and was taken by officers to a white Renault L90.

A local resident says the family is not sure whether Pouya was shot at close range right after surrendering or inside the Renault. “Only an autopsy could have revealed the truth. If someone with an honest conscience who is unwilling to conceal the truth or reality had been present, everything would have been unveiled."

In the early hours following the news of Pouya’s death, government-affiliated media outlets released photographs of his severely damaged car. 

However, witnesses informed the family that when the car collided with Ghanbari, it veered off the road but did not overturn. 

An investigation conducted when the car was removed from the scene revealed no bullet marks on the car. It appears that the bullet marks were added afterward.

Based on the testimonies provided by witnesses to the family, Pouya did not intentionally target Ghanbari and he was unjustly killed.