Response to Unrest in Mahabad: Suspect in Mysterious Death of Young Girl Arrested

Following reports of unrest in the city of Mahabad on Thursday, Jafar Katani, the governor of the city, announced the arrest of a suspect in the "mysterious death of a young girl in one of the hotels in this city" and stated that the suspect "was not an inspector or supervisor of any institution." The state news agency IRNA also reported, citing the political and security deputy of West Azerbaijan province, that the "potential suspect" had no connection to the security institutions of the Islamic Republic and that there was "no sexual assault" on the young girl from Mahabad. However, Alireza Radfar, the political and security deputy of the governor, did not provide further explanations regarding the reasons for the arrest of the "potential suspect" given that "no sexual assault" took place. Previously, several local websites and news pages on social media such as Facebook had claimed that a girl named Parinaz Khosravani, an employee of the Tara Hotel in Mahabad, jumped out of a window of one of the hotel floors to prevent a sexual assault by "a security officer" and lost her life. Meanwhile, reports and images published indicate that the city of Mahabad in West Azerbaijan province witnessed unrest on Thursday, 17 Ordibehesht, during which a hotel was set on fire during clashes between protesters and riot police. According to the deputy governor of West Azerbaijan, 25 people were injured in the unrest, including seven police officers. Following these events, the governor of Mahabad stated on Friday, 18 Ordibehesht, that investigations into the incident had begun and the suspect in this case had been arrested. According to the Tasnim news agency, he emphasized that the suspect "was not an inspector or supervisor" of any institution and added: "He had previously worked at the Koyestan Hotel in Mahabad and helped improve its standards, and the Tara Hotel employed him for this purpose, and he was stationed in this hotel." Reports circulating on social media claimed that this security officer promised the manager of the Tara Hotel that he would assist in converting this hotel into a five-star hotel. The standardization of hotels in Iran has been initiated for several years, focusing on the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization of Iran, and each hotel needs to establish certain facilities and improve some services to increase its star rating. The governor of Mahabad emphasized: "Documents and evidence related to this incident, including collected audio call files, have been gathered, but due to some family and personal issues, we will not publish the details until the investigations regarding the case are completed, as it is not ethical at all." Mr. Katani, referring to his meeting with the family of the "victim of this incident," stated that they announced they would pursue the case "only through the law and the judiciary." However, Alireza Radfar, the deputy governor, firmly rejected any "ethical issues" in the incident surrounding the young girl's death and also threatened that "the restraint of the police [against the people] will not always be present." Mr. Radfar also mentioned that many of the photos circulating on social media regarding the unrest in Mahabad are unrealistic and relate to "other events" from previous years. The governor of Mahabad did not mention the protests of the people in this city in his remarks. However, the state news agency IRNA confirmed on Thursday that protesters gathered in front of the hotel due to the "mysterious death of a young girl in one of the hotels in Mahabad," causing "damage to the building and its equipment." Meanwhile, the Kurdpa website reported on Thursday that "despite the onset of darkness, protest movements continued throughout the city of Mahabad."