Another manifestation of violence in Iran: the fatal shooting of a police officer
A person in Mehrshahr, Karaj, lying on the ground while handcuffed, died after being shot by a police officer. The video of the officer shooting the person has been widely shared on social media.
Violence by law enforcement officers is not a rare phenomenon in the Islamic Republic. This time, a person reportedly named Morteza Jafari died after being shot by a law enforcement officer.
A video of the officer's shooting on social media has prompted the Alborz provincial police chief to react. In a report published on Wednesday, September 8, the Iranian student news agency ISNA reported that the Alborz provincial police chief had ordered an investigation into the officer's shooting.
The report published by the Alborz provincial police commander did not reveal the identity of the police officer. It was only stated that the police officer was working in the security area of the 22 Mehrshahr police station in Karaj.
What's the story?
The incident dates back to four days ago. At 8:20 p.m. on September 4, a police officer shot a handcuffed man lying on the floor at close range, killing him.
The Islamic Republic's media have called this individual a "defendant" and claimed that he has disrupted social order. They have accused him of "inciting riots" and "showing off power with a cold weapon."
The Alborz provincial police commander said that this "officer knocked the defendant to the ground in a random act, and while handcuffing him, as other people approached to disarm the police, a bullet accidentally discharged from the gun and hit the defendant."
In the videos of this incident posted on social media, there is no sign of anyone approaching the police officer.
In the Mehrshahr incident in Karaj, the issue is about a police officer shooting this person, and even if the Alborz police commander's claims of "incitement" and "show of power" are true, there is no legal justification for the killing of this person by the said officer.
The issuance of an order to investigate the shooting, which occurred in response to the widespread coverage of the news and its video on social media, effectively shows that the police commander's explanation of "a bullet accidentally discharged from the police officer's weapon" was not convincing.
One social media user, sharing this news and the video of the shooting of this person, posted on Twitter and asked: "How long must we watch our compatriots being killed... A young man has been buried, another family has been left in mourning, and then the next one!"
Source: DW
