Crude Narrative-Building to Evade Responsibility and Grant Impunity to Those Ordering and Carrying Out Repression
5-January-2026
Category: Prisoners
5 January 2026
News Category: Prisoners
Breathing in Confinement – The political and security deputy governor of Qom has confirmed the killing of two citizens during recent popular protests in the city.
According to Breathing in Confinement, the news outlet of the Prisoners’ Rights League in Iran, Morteza Heidari, the political and security deputy governor of Qom Province, acknowledged the deaths of two citizens in the course of the recent protests, stating that one of the victims was a 17-year-old adolescent. He claimed that the teenager had “not participated in the protests” and had died as a result of being shot with a “non-standard (non-service) weapon.”
Heidari further alleged that the ammunition used consisted of metal pellets, which he claimed are not in use in the official protocols of the Islamic Republic’s law enforcement forces, asserting that officers are only authorised to use plastic pellets.
He also attributed the death of the second individual to the “detonation of a hand grenade in his own hand,” a claim made without the presentation of an official forensic report, without an independent examination of the scene, and without the publication of the results of any judicial investigation.
In his remarks, Heidari announced the arrest of a number of protesters, stating that some detainees would be released upon providing written undertakings, and that those deemed “innocent” by authorities would be immediately released. He also claimed that a number of those arrested were not residents of Qom and had come to the province from other cities.
Regarding detainees under the age of 18, Heidari stated that such individuals would be “released” if arrested, unless, according to him, they had “committed acts at the scene,” in which case they would be transferred to detention centres. These statements were made without any reference to the legal requirements governing juvenile justice, including the right to immediate access to a lawyer, the presence of a parent or legal guardian, and oversight by an independent judicial authority.
These remarks are made despite the fact that, under Articles 22 and 36 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, principles of civil liability, and Iran’s international obligations, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the protection of citizens’ lives, even in situations of unrest and civil protest, lies with the state. The claim that a “non-standard weapon” was used does not absolve the state of responsibility; rather, it underscores the urgent need for prompt, independent, impartial, and transparent criminal investigations.
It is worth recalling that during the recent protests, as well as the nationwide protests of 2022, numerous documented reports have emerged regarding the widespread use of metal-pellet-firing weapons by security and law enforcement forces. Such use has resulted in serious bodily harm, including blindness and permanent eye injuries, and has been extensively documented by human-rights organisations.
From a legal perspective, the claims advanced by this provincial official—in the absence of forensic reports, without identification of a competent judicial authority, and without naming the shooter or shooters—lack evidentiary value and cannot substitute for independent and impartial investigations. Moreover, the classification of detainees as “innocent” or “non-innocent” by an executive official prior to judicial proceedings constitutes a violation of the fundamental presumption of innocence.
The transfer of individuals under 18 years of age to “detention centres” without clear charges, determination of a competent authority, guaranteed access to legal counsel and legal guardians, and adherence to the procedures set out in the juvenile criminal procedure law, constitutes a clear violation of the rights of children and adolescents.
Overall, the narrative put forward by the political and security deputy governor of Qom not only fails to clarify the circumstances surrounding the killing of two citizens—particularly a teenager—but, in the absence of independent and transparent investigations, exacerbates concerns regarding impunity, disproportionate use of force, and the suppression of civil protests, while undermining fair-trial guarantees and disregarding the Islamic Republic of Iran’s human-rights obligations.