Iranian protester takes his own life after security forces raid his hideout

An Iranian protester who was carrying a gun took his own life during a live Instagram broadcast on Saturday after security forces raided his residence in Izeh, southwestern Iran, activists confirmed.

Abol (Hamid) Korkor ended his life after Islamic Republic's security forces surrounded his hiding place and fired continuously, activist and former political prisoner Foad Choobin reported on his X account.

Korkor, who had lived in hiding for over two years, streamed the raid live on Instagram as security forces stormed his home.

During the gunfire, he's repeatedly heard shouting, "We surrender," but the forces continued shooting.

In the end, Korkor said, "I have no choice. Goodbye, Iran," before taking his own life, the video shows.

Choobin, citing an informed source, reported that three individuals—Sohrab Ahmadi, Hossein Mehri, and Reza Abdollahzadeh—were with Korkor when the security forces attacked his residence.

According to the source, despite their surrender, the security forces continued shooting and eventually threw a grenade into the house.

The police commander of Izeh confirmed Abol Korkor's death and said that his companions were wounded and arrested.

Choobin said Izeh is under heavy security control, with security forces deployed across various parts of the city. Internet services in Izeh have also been severely disrupted, with some areas experiencing a complete blackout.

Sohrab Ahmadi was a relative of Kamar Tahmasebi, a slain protester who was shot dead by government forces on August 22, 2023.

During the Woman, Life, Freedom movement, Izeh witnessed widespread protests and the killing of several citizens, including Choobin's teen nephew Artin Rahmani and nine-year-old Kian Pirfalak, who were shot dead by Islamic Republic forces.

Mojahed (Abbas) Korkor, another protester from the Izeh uprising, was sentenced to death in 2023 as the "main suspect" in the murder of Kian. However, Pirfalak's family have explicitly blamed government forces for their son's death.

Contrary to official statements, Kian's mother Zeynab Molaei-Rad said their car was shot by security forces and released a photo of herself with her hands in the hands of Kourkour's mother. Maysam Pirfalak, Kian's father, who was severely injured during the incident, also released a video rejecting the allegations against Kourkour following the judiciary's announcement.