Reza Koushkinajad, former Army member, arrested again at Mansoureh Sagvand's funeral

Reza Koushkinajad, a former member of the Air Defense of the Army who was dismissed last year for supporting protests, was arrested for the third time on Tuesday. According to the Hengaw Human Rights Organization, government forces arrested him while he was participating in the funeral of Mansoureh Sagvand, a 'former honorary member of the police force' who recently died under 'suspicious' circumstances. After his brother's arrest, Hossein Koushkinajad posted on his Instagram: 'A few minutes ago, they called from the military prosecutor's office in Khorramabad and said they arrested Reza because of his second case.' Hossein Koushkinajad stated that no summons had been received from this government body and that his brother was arrested during the funeral of Mansoureh Sagvand. With the onset of nationwide protests, 'Corporal First Class' Reza Koushkinajad, who was active in the Air Defense of the city of Abdanan, protested against the suppression of the protesting people by government forces and supported the protesters in a video he released. After the video was published, he was arrested and suspended from work for three months. After his temporary release, Koushkinajad, in an exclusive interview with VOA, stated that supporting the people is a public duty for everyone and said: 'The only duty of the army and all sectors and professions of society is to rise in support of the people.' In this interview, he pointed out that governments have come and gone throughout history and said: 'When we claim to be free thinkers and human rights advocates, as a military person, we must stand with the people and their rightful demands.' This former army member, in another part of his statements, referred to the course of the Islamic Republic's government over the years, calling the slogan 'Independence, Freedom,' which was the slogan of the early days of the Islamic Republic, a 'big lie' and described the current Iranian government as a 'pure dictatorship.' Regarding the reason for his decision, he stated that he chose to stand with the people, selecting 'the truth, which is the people,' over 'lies.' According to some news sources, including the Hengaw Human Rights Organization, Koushkinajad was also detained for about a month in Parsilou prison and Ilam prison for supporting the people when the protesting people of Abdanan sought refuge in the air defense of this city, preventing the entry of suppressive forces into the barracks, and was permanently expelled from the army.