Kurdish child’s forced confession raises fears of possible death sentence

Media outlets affiliated with the security agencies of the Islamic Republic of Iran have published a video of forced confessions by Arjin Jondi, a 16-year-old Kurdish child detained over the killing of an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) member, raising concerns that IRGC Intelligence is building a fabricated case against him to pave the way for a death sentence.

The video, released on 23 September, concerns the killing of IRGC member Eslam Kak-Darvishi.

Jondi remains denied access to a lawyer and family visits, 11 days after his arrest.

An informed source in Piranshahr told the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) that, in recent days, a convoy of IRGC forces accompanied by several judicial officials from Piranshahr had taken Jondi to the village of Kuper and forced him to re-enact the killing as part of a staged reconstruction orchestrated by the security forces.

The source said Jondi’s hands were covered with cloth when he was taken to the reconstruction. It is unclear whether this was intended to conceal signs of torture or was done for another reason.

The forced reconstruction and publication of his confessions, while he remains denied access to a lawyer and family visits, have heightened concerns about his condition and efforts to prepare the ground for a death sentence.

Jondi, from Kuper in Piranshahr County, West Azerbaijan Province, had been living with his uncle’s family in the village since his father’s death.

On the evening of 11 September, armed individuals shot dead IRGC member Kak-Darvishi in the village. Following the killing, members of Kak-Darvishi’s family destroyed the home of Jondi’s uncle, alleging that the child had been involved.

A group calling itself “Khori Hiwa” claimed responsibility for the killing several hours later.

An informed source had previously told KHRN that Jondi had gone to another village to visit his mother. On 12 September, after being summoned to the IRGC Intelligence office in Piranshahr, he went there with a family member and was arrested.

At the time of his arrest, Iranian state media reported that IRGC Intelligence agents had arrested Kak-Darvishi’s “killer”, without identifying the person detained.