Exclusive; Kian Derakhshan: I am sure we will win and establish freedom and democracy

Kian Derakhshan, one of the injured from the suppression of public protests following the killing of Mahsa Amini in Saqqez, stated in an exclusive interview with Voice of America that he is proud of the path he has chosen and is certain that the people of Iran will prevail and establish freedom and democracy with the slogan "Women, Life, Freedom" in Iran. In this interview with Manouchehr Pordel, a reporter for Voice of America, he recounted that on September 26 last year, the first day of protests in Saqqez, Mahsa Amini's hometown, while chanting "Women, Life, Freedom" with the people, he threw back a tear gas canister fired by security forces. According to Kian, after that, Islamic Republic agents shot directly at him with a shotgun, hitting him with nearly 100 pellets. The people present immediately took him to a nearby clinic and then to Shafa Hospital. Kian Derakhshan, one of the injured from the protests against Mahsa Amini's killing, mentioned that several surgeries were performed on him in Saqqez, but due to the severity of his injuries, he was transferred to Imam Reza Hospital in Tabriz. He underwent several more surgeries in Tabriz and was hospitalized in the ICU for 18 days. This protest victim further quoted his family, stating that at that time his level of consciousness was so low that he did not even recognize his family members. While his awareness level was below 50%, he was transferred to the general ward, where an interrogator-reporter took a "televised confession" from him. Kian emphasized that more than 100 pellets are still in his body, and his right arm has issues. He added that one pellet is still in his bone, irritating his nerve. Additionally, two pellets have hit close to his spine, causing him severe pain. Kian's right eye has suffered a six-degree vision loss due to the pellet injury. He is constantly taking medication for the pain caused by the pellets. Kian stated that after his discharge, he has been summoned and threatened multiple times. He was quarantined at home for a week after his discharge, and his family did not allow him to go outside "for fear of the Islamic Republic." The recent wave of public protests that began in late September 2022 after Mahsa Amini's death in police custody has been one of the largest and most serious challenges against the Islamic Republic in the past 44 years. According to statistics provided by human rights organizations, Islamic Republic security forces killed nearly 600 people, including women and children, during the suppression of public protests, injured several thousand, and arrested over 20,000 Iranian citizens. Western governments have also responded to this violent crackdown by imposing several sanctions packages against Islamic Republic institutions and officials. In recent days, Amjad Amini, Mahsa Amini's father, announced in an interview with the Persian section of Voice of America that they plan to hold a memorial ceremony for his daughter, stating: "To honor the name and memory of the martyr and innocent Zhina (Mahsa) and to bring peace to the family and relatives and all her supporters, we intend to hold the memorial ceremony this year. However, given the circumstances, we cannot officially call for people to attend the ceremony or tell people not to participate." Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, also previously stated in response to a question from a Voice of America Persian reporter that the Islamic Republic has not learned from the recent protests. John Kirby, the National Security Council's Strategic Communications Coordinator at the White House, had also stated: "After the killing of Mahsa Amini and the public protests, the people of Iran must now be able to decide for themselves and choose their own dress."