Moein Khazaeli to VOA: The Killing of Sadegh Zarei by Police Fire is the Result of a 'Systematic Violence-Encouraging Approach'

Following the killing of a citizen by gunfire 'at very close range' by the head of security police in Chaharbagh, Alborz province, Moein Khazaeli, a member of the Dadban legal group, told VOA that this represents a 'systematic violence-encouraging approach within the security and law enforcement apparatus' of the Islamic Republic in Iran and is 'the tip of the iceberg.' On Thursday, September 6, after a report was published about the killing of a citizen named Sadegh Zarei in Nazarabad, Alborz province, by direct gunfire from a security police official at close range, Khazaeli stated that the information and documents received by this group have been 'verified,' and the death certificate explicitly mentions the cause of death as 'gunshot wound due to the use of military equipment outside of war.' This lawyer also announced that a lawyer representing Zarei's family has filed a complaint detailing 'the specifics of the day of the incident,' stating that the complaint 'indicates that this shooting was a complete violation of the law on the use of firearms, as Sadegh Zarei was neither armed nor attempting to flee or resist arrest, and with the presence of eight police officers, arresting one person was not very difficult.' According to this lawyer, 'The shooting carried out by the head of Chaharbagh security police was completely illegal and contrary to the law on the use of firearms, and when this young man fell to the ground from the first gunshot, two more shots were fired at him by the head of Chaharbagh security police,' and then 'while he was bleeding profusely, the police beat him and dragged him on the ground to remove him from the building.' A member of the Dadban legal advisors council also stated that this group is trying to ascertain the exact identity of the shooter and added: 'Based on the documents and evidence we have obtained, it is clear that a legal case was underway, but it is unclear to Dadban what the subject of the case was, whether it was a security case or individual complaints.' Moein Khazaeli also emphasized: 'We see that officials, especially the police, are trying to portray these incidents as rare and say that a group became angry or, for example, regarding Mohammad Mir Mousavi, they said he insulted and the officers became angry and could not control their anger. While these cases are by no means rare, these are merely the cases that become publicized, and there are many more. This is just the tip of the iceberg that exists. There are many cases that for various reasons are not reported at all.' According to Mr. Khazaeli, 'This issue indicates a systematic violence-encouraging approach within the security and law enforcement apparatus in Iran and is specifically consistent with the approach of Ahmad Reza Radan.' He explained: 'When images of the attack by morality police on a 14-year-old girl were published, Radan made no mention of the beating of children, which is a clear crime, and only said that the officers' behavior was somewhat unprofessional. This clearly shows that this type of perspective permits further acts of violence in places not visible to the public.' This lawyer also stated that violence is 'widely promoted by officials of the Islamic Republic, and there is no specific legal prosecution or criminal follow-up from the judiciary against the officers who commit such violations,' saying: 'The reason is that the police command does not allow such actions to the judiciary. In other words, instead of police officers being the judicial agents, they have effectively become the judiciary's agents acting according to the wishes and desires of the police command.' Moein Khazaeli emphasized that 'we do not have an independent judiciary' and 'this type of approach is completely systematic and we have witnessed it many times,' and 'the reason is the type of perspective that exists among police commanders, which is a lack of accountability,' since 'the overall command is appointed by the leader of the Islamic Republic' and 'the violation of citizens' rights has no standing or importance to the leader of the Islamic Republic.' This lawyer and human rights activist also stated that 'the police see this type of violence as a tool for the main violence and repression they apply in political matters' and 'there is potential in Iranian society that at any moment, like the Women, Life, Freedom uprising, another widespread protest could begin. It would not be surprising if in the coming days and months we witness another severe protest.'