Iranian Police Officers Arrested in Protester Shooting Case

The lawyer for Pouriya Alipour, an Iranian protester who was badly injured during nationwide protests last year, announced the arrest of four police officers suspected in the case. 

Payam Derafshan told Emtedad news website on December 19 that the arrests involved both low-ranking field officers and senior commanders.

"The individuals identified and charged include the motorcycle driver who struck Mr. Alipour and the officer who shot him in the face, along with two senior officials," Derafshan said. "The case has been transferred from the Supreme Court to the Branch 11 of Tehran Military Prosecutor's Office.”

The suspects are accused of attempted murder, unauthorized use of firearms, assault with intent to injure, and actions undermining public trust in security forces. 

The September 2022 death in police custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini triggered protests that spread across the country and rapidly escalated into calls for the overthrow of the four-decade-old Islamic theocracy in Iran.

Authorities responded with a brutal crackdown in which more than 500 people were killed and over 22,000 others were unlawfully detained, including dozens of lawyers. 

Following biased trials, the judiciary handed down stiff sentences, including the death penalty, to protesters. At least eight of them have been executed so far.