A Cry for Justice from Malekshahi; The Call of the Families of 5 Victims for Retribution and the Execution of Justice
February 4, 2026; Following the bloody crackdown on protests in "Ilam", the families of five victims of the January 3, 2026, protests in "Malekshahi" have officially declared their pursuit of retribution by publishing an official and legal statement. This document, signed and fingerprinted by the survivors—including the fathers of "Reza Azimzadeh", "Mehdi Emamipour", "Mohammad Reza Karami", "Mohsen (Fares) Mohammadi", and the son of "Latif Karimi"—emphasizes their firm resolve to end the immunity of the perpetrators of the shootings and to bring them to trial.
This statement, which is the result of several consultation sessions and dialogues among the bereaved families, is addressed to departmental officials, the general public of the great "Malekshahi" tribe, and the people of "Ilam", Iran, and the world. It emphasizes the seeking of justice and retribution by these families as follows; The families of the victims, taking an oath to continue this path until the full punishment of the killers, have declared that based on existing videos and definitive evidence, the shooting towards the protesting people on January 3, 2026, in the boulevard in front of the "IRGC" Urban District of "Malekshahi" County was carried out directly from inside this military building. Mentioning the names of their deceased (Latif Karimi, Mohammad Reza Karami, Mehdi Emamipour, Reza Azimzadeh, and Mohsen Mohammadi), they identified all commanders present in the building, specifically "Rasoul Moradbani", the commander of the "Malekshahi" "IRGC", as the main individuals responsible for this crime. The statement further emphasizes that by appointing legal counsel, they will follow the judicial process, and in the event of any disruption or obstruction in the path of justice, they will refer the case to international forums; as they believe that with faith in the innocence of their loved ones, they have the support of awakened and justice-seeking consciences in this difficult journey.
On January 4, 2026, "Kurdpa" published a report confirming that the release of two videos refutes the narrative of government media regarding the "protesters being armed" and "clashes with armed thugs". An examination of the content of these videos shows that the shots were fired directly and purposefully at an unarmed crowd. Furthermore, another video exclusively obtained by "Kurdpa" clearly shows the repressive forces of the Islamic Republic firing from the top of a military building at the protesters.
According to "Kurdpa" reports and the documentation in the families' statement, the five Kurdish citizens from "Malekshahi" who lost their lives during the protests on January 3, 2026, are: "Latif Karimi", "Mohammad Reza Karami" (a 16-year-old adolescent), "Mehdi Emamipour", "Reza Azimzadeh", and "Mohsen (Fares) Aghamohammadi". These are the identities of the five victims from January 3, 2026, who were targeted by the direct firing of live ammunition by the repressive forces of the Islamic Republic in the boulevard in front of the "IRGC" Urban District of this county. These victims, whose absolute innocence is emphasized by their families, were killed by gunfire from forces stationed inside the "Malekshahi" "IRGC" building, and their names are now registered as the primary victims in the justice-seeking case in "Ilam" province.
