Iranian security forces conducted a nighttime raid on the village of Parchestan-e Gorouei near the southern city of Izeh, arresting three relatives of Kian Pirfalak, a nine-year-old boy who was killed during the mass protests that swept Iran in 2022. The operation was reported by Iran International, a Persian-language news outlet.
According to the report, dozens of members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps from Khuzestan province carried out the raid using armored vehicles and surveillance drones. The forces, equipped with bulletproof vests and laser-sighted weapons, forcibly detained the three men and transported them to an undisclosed location.
Those arrested include Jamshid Molaei, a close relative of the child's mother, along with Esmaeil Molaei and Hossein Molaei. Jamshid Molaei, a young poet and writer known by the pen name "Rayka," suffers from diabetes and requires regular insulin injections, raising serious concerns about his wellbeing. According to information from the area, hours after his arrest Jamshid was taken to a local hospital with a broken arm and severe injuries across his body resulting from violence by security forces. However, he was soon taken away again by authorities and has not been heard from since. Family members report they have received no official information about where the three are being held or their medical condition.
The Pirfalak family's story has become one of the most prominent and painful symbols of the "Woman, Life, Freedom" protests that erupted across Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini while in custody of the morality police. Kian Pirfalak was shot to death on November 16, 2022, while sitting in his parents' car during unrest in Izeh. Human rights organizations and family members directly accused Iranian security forces of opening live fire on the vehicle. The boy's father was seriously wounded in the same incident, while authorities in Tehran attempted to deny responsibility, claiming the shooting was carried out by "unknown armed individuals."
This latest raid is not the first time the Iranian regime has used force against family members. The village where the arrests took place has experienced previous bloodshed: in June 2023, Pouya Molaei-Rad, another relative of the mother, was shot dead during a memorial ceremony for the child. In that case as well, family members rejected the authorities' claim that the young man posed a threat to security forces.
The extensive military-style operation and repeated arrests indicate a systematic policy by the Tehran regime to apply continuous pressure on families of protest victims, aimed at preventing them from commemorating their loved ones or continuing to voice opposition to the government.
