Witness’s name and surname: Jamshid Aryana
Relation to deceased: cousin
Name of deceased: Borhan Mansournia
Deceased’s date of birth: 22/06/ 1991
Deceased’s place of death: Marivan
Deceased’s date of death: 16 /11/2019
Type of testimony: public
Borhan’s father and my father are first cousins. His mother is also a close relative, and we are, generally, a very tight knit extended family in Iran. Borhan had a M.D. in animal husbandry from the University of Orumieh. He had completed his studies and was passing his military service and was assigned to the 110 unit of Kermanshah’s security forces. He did not have a violent streak in him.
Sometime during the late afternoon of the 25th of Aban 1398 (16 Nov. 2019), Borhan left the house. On his way to the barbershop, while at the Dowlatabad Intersection in Kermanshah, he was shot remained alive for 34 hours after being hit by the bullet. His surgery was performed in the morning of 26 Aban (17 November). Borhan was alert until 05:00 pm of 27th Aban (18 November) and was able to tell his family how and where he was hit by the bullet and which government organization had fired it. He said that the bullet was fired from behind at a very close range. That is, he was attacked from behind. He wanted to go from the street to an alley when they fired at him. The bullet hit the right side of his back and came out from the front. The bullet did not remain in his body. The bullet had hit his entrails and caused bleeding. As soon as the bullet hit him, local people took him inside the courtyard of one of the houses. He was still alive and was not unconscious. He gave his mobile phone to one of the people and asked them to contact his brothers. They told his brothers what had happened and called the ambulance. The ambulance came late and took him to Farabi Hospital. Farabi Hospital did not accept him saying that it was not their job, and it was not their specialty. He remained there for one hour and bled. Even after the passage of one hour, they did not take the preliminary steps to prevent the bleeding which they could have. Then, he was transferred to Taleghani Hospital. They only accepted him after half hour of haggling and, instead of the ICU, took him to the general ward despite his condition being critical after being hit by a bullet. They left him there to be treated.
Since the bullet was fired at close quarters, it hit his back and emerged from the front. Since, the type of the bullet could not be ascertained. The forensic medicine report was not given to the family. The death certificate states that he died as a result of impact by a hard body on his back. When the family followed up and asked where the bullet came from and who fired it, they heard the following answers: Troublemakers fired it; it was not anyone from our forces. That was not a bullet used by agency, and it was not fired from our agency issued weapons. With these words, they have attempted to justify that for the time being, it is unclear what type of bullet it was. But there is no doubt that the security forces fired.
Borhan remained in the hospital for around 34 hours. The conduct of the hospital nursing staff, according to what we have heard, was good. They were not negligent. However, the medical staff, especially the attending physician, was regretfully a different story. He did not even see his patient. Borhan was one of those who saw everything imaginable during these demonstrations and survived it all. It’s for this reason that his family suspects that the medical negligence may have in fact been intentional. To pay for the hospital, even though he was a police officer and had an insurance coverage document, they did not accept the booklet and took six million tomans ($1500 USD) from the family to stay in the hospital for 43 hours. Forty-three hours after the death, the corpse was handed over to the family. However, they (obviously, the Intelligence Department of Kermanshah) had to sign a signed and sworn statement from the family that affirmed that they would remain silent regarding Borhan’s manner of death and refrain from interviews with any media outlet or in any gathering. They took custody of the remains in Kermanshah and returned to Marivan via an ambulance belonging to the village where Borhan’s father was born. He was buried at night in the Behesht Mostafa Cemetery of Marivan.
The family distributed memorial service notifications throughout Marivan, and the service held as appropriate. People participated in it. However, during the burial they (security agents) phoned the family and presented an ultimatum.
The security agents had come secretly to the mourning ceremonies. They created no particular problems there. But they once called Borhan’s father and spoke to him. His father was aggrieved and angry. He told them: “You have killed my son, if you have any questions or want anything from me, come face to face with people here at the mosque. We will talk and see whether I am right or you.”
Wherever news reached about Borhan’s death, or a report was broadcast about him, or anything was shown on TV about him, they immediately warned his father or brother and interrogated them and said that this must not happen. They questioned how this information was leaked and how it reached them. In short, they were put under pressure one way or another.
Sometime ago on Borhan’s birthday, i.e., on 1st of Tir (22 June), his family invited his friends to visit his grave. The police force attacked that place and treated his family and friends very badly. They arrested two of his friends and took them to the Intelligence Ministry. They opened a security file for Mr. Andazyar, one of his friends. They slapped them, seized their mobiles, and even took their family car and returned it after two days. Apparently, they removed something valuable from the car. In short, they treated them very badly. They even wanted to shove Borhan’s brother, by force, inside their car but his father and brother prevented them. They attacked them too. The family did not allow the forces to take Borhan’s brother with them, but they detained two friends.
Sometime after his killing, officials and persons in charge of Marivan: Imam Jomeh, Governor, Chief of the Police, and commanders of Sepah made many phone calls to the family and wanted to come to their house (to discuss the issue whether Borhan should be recognized as a shahid or martyr). The Governor-Generals of Kermanshah and Kurdistan, the officials of these provinces, regularly made contacts with the family and wanted to be allowed to come to their house. However, the family opposed each time on one pretext or another. According to news reported to me, they said that the stages of recognizing their son as shahid were completed at the Ministry of Martyrs. The family only had to accept it, but they did not accept. That is, they have unilaterally registered Borhan as shahid, but his family has not accepted it. The family have not yet allowed any of the officials and authorities to enter their house for this purpose or discussed the issue.
Borhan’s family have complained against the police of Kermanshah, Taleghani Hospital, and its medical staff, especially Dr. Mohammad Mehdi Shakeri. The complaints state that their son was injured as a result of bullets fired by the security agents and died at the Taleghani Hospital as result of the negligence of the Hospital’s medical staff. However, no response has been given so far. No summons has been issued; no court hearing has been set. Even in the computer system, known as Sana, there is no news whatsoever indicating that their complaint is followed up, investigated, or whatever.
