New Details Regarding the State-Sanctioned Murder of Komar Daroftadeh; Emergency Medical Care Obstructed by State Security Forces
Hengaw; Monday, April 22, 2024
Recent documents and evidence obtained by Hengaw reveal that Komar Daroftadeh, a teenager killed during the "Women, Life, Freedom" movement, lost his life due to the denial of emergency medical services and the threatening of medical staff by state security forces.
Documents from Emergency Medical Services in Iran, obtained by a reliable source for Hengaw, show that Komar Daroftadeh suffered critical injuries from close-range pellet gun fire. Due to deliberate delays and the failure to provide immediate aid by the emergency care team, under threat from security forces, he succumbed to severe bleeding injuries after being transferred to the hospital.
The report from Emergency Medical Services in Iran, a copy of which is in Hengaw's possession, states: "The patient, Mr. 'Anonymous' , suffered severe injuries and trauma from pellet gunfire and showed no vital signs. Following a call from the Criminal Investigation Department declaring the mission, the team quickly attended to the lifeless victim and transferred him to the hospital. It should be noted that security and investigative forces prevented any medical intervention at the scene and emphasized that they were ordered to transport the patient to the hospital, where he was eventually transferred without the support of security or investigative forces."
The report also mentioned that "the patient was handed over to the hospital emergency department without venous access, vital signs, or an established airway such as intubation or a laryngeal mask."
An informed source, who wished to remain anonymous, stated: "After Komar was critically injured around 20:00 on Sunday, October 30, 2022, by direct fire from repressive state security forces with pellet guns near Mohammad Oraz Square in Piranshahr, he was abducted by the assailants and transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department in a private-plated car."
The teenager, injured in the arm, side, and chest, was, as specified in the documents received, transferred by emergency services to Imam Khomeini Hospital in Piranshahr at 21:41 and handed over to the doctors.
According to obtained documents, witnesses, and informed sources, this deceased child, who was merely talking with friends around Mohammad Oraz Square, was severely injured but alive for about an hour and 30 minutes under the custody of the Criminal Investigation Department. After becoming certain of his likely death, security forces informed the emergency center (115) an hour and a half later.
Komar Daroftadeh, born on August 16, 2006, and a native of Piranshahr, was killed on the afternoon of Sunday, October 30, 2022, at the age of 16 years, 2 months, and 14 days by direct and close-range fire from government forces. His body was claimed by a large number of family, relatives, and townspeople from the hospital morgue on Monday, October 31, and buried in the cemetery of Zivoka village in this county.
It is noteworthy that, on the anniversary of Komar's death, his family displayed a collection of his blood-stained clothes, including a jamaneh, pants, shirt, jacket, and shoes, showing hundreds of pellet marks, as a symbolic act.
Over the past year, Komar's family has repeatedly faced pressure, threats, and arrests by security agencies due to their pursuit of justice for their son.
On August 12, 2023, Hassan Daroftadeh, Komar's father, was summoned to the Piranshahr Intelligence Office for interrogation. Security forces threatened Mr. Daroftadeh to refrain from holding a birthday celebration for Komar on August 16. On the same day, security forces intercepted the family on their way, seizing the birthday cake and other ceremony items, and prevented them from visiting Komar's gravesite.
As the anniversary of the extrajudicial killing of Jina Amini approached, on August 21, 2023, Hassan and Mardin Daroftadeh, Komar's father and brother, were summoned to the Piranshahr Intelligence Office where they were interrogated by security officers for several hours. Security forces threatened the Daroftadeh family to refrain from “participating in ceremonies”, and “activities on social media”, during the anniversary of the "Women, Life, Freedom" protests.
Additionally, one day before the anniversary of Komar Daroftadeh's state-sanctioned murder (October 29, 2023), Hassan Daroftadeh, the father of the deceased teenager, was once again summoned to the Piranshahr Intelligence Office and faced threats and interrogation. Security forces threatened Hassan Daroftadeh that he would not be allowed to hold a ceremony or engage in social media activities on the anniversary of his son's murder.
"Love freedom more than anything!” was among Komar Daroftadeh's Instagram stories, the same text has been engraved on his tombstone.
It is important to note that during the "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement, at least 147 protesting citizens were killed across different cities in Kurdistan, including at least 13 children and adolescents under 18 years old and 6 women.
On March 8, 2024, coinciding with International Women's Day, the UN Indipendent Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran reported serious cases of human rights violations against civilians, women, and girls in Iran, many amounting to "crimes against humanity."
The Independent Fact-Finding Mission, established by the UN Human Rights Council, published a report on the findings of its investigations, stating that serious human rights violations against civilians, women, and girls constitute "crimes against humanity" and that gender-based persecution is intertwined with discrimination based on ethnic and religious identity.
The report emphasized that the protesters were not a serious threat to security forces, but the use of lethal weapons by these forces was illegal, and the targeted killings of protesters constitute extrajudicial executions.
