Seven-year-old Zolfaghar Sharifi killed by police gunfire in Hoveyzeh

Hengaw – Saturday, October 18, 2025

A seven-year-old Arab child from Hoveyzeh, Khuzestan Province, identified as Zolfaghar Sharifi, was killed when Iran’s Law Enforcement Command opened fire on his family’s car. His sister was also seriously injured.

According to information obtained by Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Sharifi, a resident of Beyt Kovar village near Hoveyzeh, was shot dead after police forces opened fire on his family’s private vehicle at a newly established checkpoint near the village on the evening of Friday, October 17, 2025.

A source told Hengaw that officers at the checkpoint fired directly at the vehicle without issuing any warning or order to stop, resulting in the child’s immediate death.

Hengaw has further learned that Sharifi’s sister sustained serious injuries during the shooting.

Following the incident, security forces surrounded the area and warned the family not to communicate with media outlets or human rights organizations.

The killing occurred amid the ongoing war between Iran and Israel, during which numerous new checkpoints have been established and incidents of indiscriminate police gunfire have risen sharply across the country.