Gathering in Paveh to Pay Respects to Environmental Activists Who Lost Their Lives

Citizens gathered in Paveh as the bodies of those killed arrived, following the fire in the Bozin and Marakhil protected area, and paid tribute to the victims.

Images and videos published on social media also indicated the presence of people alongside ambulances carrying the bodies of the deceased.

Some of the gathered protesters held images and signs in their hands. A group of mourners chanted slogans saying “martyrs never die.”

The bodies of #Mokhtarkhendani, #BilalAmini, two environmental activists who died on Sunday while attempting to contain the fire in the Bozin and Markhil protected area, entered the city of Paveh amidst mourning and tributes from the people. #coolbernews pic.twitter.com/qcx3cNELPm

— siavash aghaei (@siavashmohamma) June 28, 2020

According to available reports, Mokhtarkhendani, Bilal Amini, and Yaseen Karimi had gone to the area to contain the fire.

The death of these three individuals comes as the Mehr news agency last night referenced the possibility of a mine explosion in the area in its report.

Jamshid Mohabbatkhani, the commander of the country’s environmental protection forces, told the news agency: “Local authorities have not yet confirmed whether these three individuals lost their lives due to burns or a mine explosion while fighting the fire.”

Mr. Mohabbatkhani emphasized that the area is “difficult to traverse” and “minefields from the Iran-Iraq war” remain in it.

Official authorities have not yet provided details on how Mokhtarkhendani, Bilal Amini, and Yaseen Karimi died.

Earlier, environmental protection officials in Kermanshah said the fire in the Bozin and Marakhil area was controlled on Saturday evening, but reignited on Sunday morning.

The head of the Paveh Ziwaye Society announced on the eighth day of Tir month that two of its active members had been lost. However, at the same time, reports of the death of Mr. Karimi, another active activist in the region, had also been published.

As reported, Mokhtarkhendani was one of the long-standing members of the Paveh Ziwaye Society.

Bozin and Marakhil are located in the Paveh and Javanrood districts in Kermanshah province and have been registered as a hunting and shooting-prohibited area for the past 20 years.

Source: Radio Farda