Death sentence of Mojahed Korkor overturned by Iran’s Supreme Court
Hengaw: Thursday, December 12, 2024
The death sentence of Mojahed Korkor, a Lor Bakhtiari political prisoner implicated in the Kian Pirfalak case and arrested during the Women, Life, Freedom movement, has been overturned by Iran’s Supreme Court, marking a significant development in his legal battle.
According to a report received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, the Supreme Court recently annulled the death sentence handed down to Mojahed Korkor, who is currently detained in Sheiban Prison in Ahvaz. The case has been referred to an equivalent court for retrial.
This development was confirmed by Korkor’s sister, Negar Korkor, in a statement shared on her Instagram account.
Mojahed Korkor had been sentenced to death by the Ahvaz Revolutionary Court on charges of “waging war against God” (Moharebeh) and “corruption on earth” (Efsad-e Fil Arz). His sentence, initially upheld by Branch 39 of the Supreme Court on December 24, 2023, was formally communicated to his family.
The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the ruling follows a request for retrial filed by Korkor’s legal team under Article 477 of Iran’s criminal procedure code, which permits judicial review in cases of significant procedural errors.
Korkor was accused by authorities of involvement in the killing of Kian Pirfalak, a claim refuted by Kian’s mother, Mahmonir Molai Rad, during her son’s funeral. She publicly held security forces responsible for the attack on their vehicle, stating that she “would never accept any of fellow townspeople as the accused.”
The Izeh public prosecutor had previously accused local residents, including Korkor Bahman Bahmani, Hossain Saeedi, and Mahmood Ahmadi, of involvement in the deaths of seven people during the November 16, 2022 protests. Judicial cases were opened against 70 individuals in connection with these events.
Korkor, who was injured and arrested during an armed raid by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces on December 20, 2022, in the village of Persurakh, has been subjected to torture aimed at extracting forced confessions. He has also been denied basic rights such as family visits. The same raid resulted in the deaths of two other protestors, Mahmood Ahmadi and Hossein Saeedi, by IRGC gunfire.
