Iranian security forces shot dead a young Kurdish man while he was spray-painting anti-government graffiti in western Kermanshah province, a human rights organization said on Sunday.
Ardalan Ghasemi, a citizen of Gilan-e Gharb, was writing protest slogans on Taq-e-Boston Boulevard in Kermanshah, when he was shot from behind by security forces, according to Kurdistan Human Rights Network.
Ghasemi was shot three times and did not receive immediate medical attention due to security forces refusing to take him to a medical center. Two more protesters were reportedly wounded during the incident.
Since Ghasemi’s murder, his family has received threats from security forces and been ordered to keep his death a secret.
"Authorities forced the family to sign a document saying Ardalan was shot by police while he was stealing a car," Kurdistan Human Rights Network reported.
Iran has been swept by protests since 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in the custody of the morality police nearly two months ago. Amini was initially arrested for allegedly wearing the hijab incorrectly.
During the protests, Iranian women have waved their headscarves in the air and burned them, in a show of resistance to the country’s conservative dress codes. The ongoing demonstrations mark one of the boldest challenges to the Islamic Republic since the 1979 revolution.
Security forces have responded with a brutal crackdown on the mainly peaceful protests in which at least 300 people have been killed, including 40 children, according to one human rights organization. Several thousand people have been arrested.
The United States and European Union have imposed additional sanctions on Iran for its brutal treatment of protesters. EU foreign ministers are expected to agree additional sanctions on Monday.
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