The mother of Ramin Ramezani, a young 22 year old who was killed on June 15 in Tehran’s Azadi Square by state security forces told Rooz in an interview that her son has been branded a martyr by the Boniad Shahid (“Martyrs Foundation”). This title is given by religious authorities to those who are said to have died in the path of God.

At the time Ramin was on leave from his mandatory military conscription service.  His family’s attempts to identify those responsible for the death of their son have borne no fruit.

The family of Ramin Ramezani was under pressure from the Martyrs Foundation to accept the designation of a martyr for their son’s death.  After numerous consultations with opposition leaders Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karoubi, the family conceded to the foundation’s request provided that the foundation would not extend any special privileges to the family.  

In an interview with Rooz, Ramin’s mother declared that she would not forget the spilling of her son’s blood and would not rest easy until her son’s murderer, no matter his official post or position, was identified and punished.

Here is the interview.

Rooz: You had filed a complaint over Ramin’s death.  What happened to the complaint?

Ramezani: Yes, we filed a complaint and want the perpetrators and authorities behind Ramin’s murder to be identified and punished.  The person or persons’ post or official capacity does not matter. They must be identified and punished.  We will definitely follow up on our complaint and absolutely won’t give up our efforts or forget about our son’s blood.  So far everyone is denying the responsibility, as if a divine bullet was shot from the sky and hit my son!

Rooz: Was Ramin at the protest to reclaim his rights and vote, or was he at the Azadi Square by accident?

Ramezani:  Ramin had voted for Mr. Mousavi.  He wasn’t a political person but he cared about his rights.  He joined the people at the protest to defend his vote.  

Rooz: Had an autopsy been performed on Ramin’s body when you received it?  

Ramezani: After he was shot, Ramin was taken to the Shariati hospital.  After doctors pronounced him dead the Passdaran Revolutionary Guards immediately took the body away.  When we received Ramin’s body at the coroner’s office there was a writing on the body that said it had been delivered to the coroner’s office on June 18, whereas Ramin’s body was taken by the Revolutionary Guards on June 15.  During those three days, the Revolutionary Guards had kept my son’s body in meat freezers.  The body we received was like a frozen corpse … and an autopsy had already been performed.  He was shot below his right chest, and the bullet exited his body from his lower back on the left side.  His kidneys and lungs had been completely destroyed.

Rooz: How old was Ramin and where is he buried?

Ramezani: Ramin was 22.  His birthday was on June 21, the day on which we received news of his martyrdom.  First they gave us the bullet that had killed him.  We buried the two bullets in section 257, row 46 [in the Behesht Zahra cemetery].  He is buried only a few steps away from Neda.