Earlier this month I posted about the tragic death of a young Iranian culture-enricher in the Bavarian town of Lauf an der Pegnitz. The unfortunate youth, whose name was Mohammad, was shot dead by police after he came at them with a knife and was not deterred by being tased.

Members of Mohammad’s extended family are understandably upset about their relative’s demise, and are convinced that police overreacted when they shot him.

The slain young man was sent home to Iran to be buried.

Many thanks to Gary Fouse for translating this article from Nordbayern.de:

Funeral in Iran

Why did Mohammad have to die? Family questions police action after deadly shooting in Lauf

by Azeglio Elia Hupfer
July 17, 2024

Lauf an-der-Pegnitz — Following the deadly stomach shot at the train station on the left bank of the Pegnitz, family, friends, and acquaintances are stunned and ask themselves why Mohammad had to die. The Iranian embassy is also involved.

“Cops kill! Say his name,” is spray-painted at the bus stop at the Lauf train station on the left bank of the Pegnitz. His name was Mohammad. In the afternoon of June 30, he was killed by a shot from a federal policewoman. First, according to the police, there was reportedly a knife attack by Mohammad on a patrol. The investigation by the Schwabach Criminal Police, in cooperation with the State Prosecutor’s Office is on-going as of July 16.

While the authorities are releasing little information about the incident, referring to on-going investigations, more is known about the slain 34-year-old from an investigation by the Nuremberg Press Publishers — parent company of the Nuernberger Nachrichten and the Pegnitz Zeitung. Accordingly, Mohammad fled Iran for Germany in 2015 and had lived for the past nine years in community housing for refugees in Roethenbach in the Nuremberg area.

Big plans, no asylum

“He came here with a lot of hope and goals,” Mohammad’s brother-in-law tells the Nuernberger Nachrichten. Mohammad wanted to become a doctor, completed an advanced language course in Erlangen, and ultimately, became fluent in German. Mohammad’s asylum application was denied, however. An appeal was unsuccessful three years ago. In the end, he was merely tolerated in Germany.

Mohammad used his knowledge of German to help other residents of the housing facility with translating, and many called him “Professor”, friends and social workers say. Mohammad was well-loved in the residence and always had a smile, residents recall. “He never had a knife on him, was always ready to help, and was a calm guy,” says one acquaintance.

The question of why

Family and friends are still stunned and wonder why Mohammad had to die. Mohammad’s sister and brother-in-law live in Nordrhein-Westfalen. The family wonders: “Why couldn’t three well-trained police officers control the situation differently? Why did they immediately shoot Mohammad?”

Mohammad’s brother-in-law suspects a possible connection with the knife attack at the Mannheim Market Square at the end of May. “Maybe the police were afraid and shot.” On May 31 a 25-year-old wounded five participants of a demonstration by the anti-Islam movement, Pax Europa, and a 29-year-old policeman with a knife. The policeman died two days later from his wounds. In the case of Mohammad, there is no indication of an extremist background at this stage of the investigation.

The Iranian embassy in Germany is also involved in the death of Mohammad, and is also asking how the 34-year-old could die. The Bavarian Refugee Council also expects a complete explanation. “We are demanding a comprehensive and critical investigation of the incident in Lauf an der Pegnitz, to prevent future tragedies,” says Johanna Boehm, of the Bavarian Refugee Council.

Buried in Iran

Mohammad’s body is now in Iran. He was buried there last week. “Here in Germany, he only had his sister and me. His family in Iran wanted to have the possibility to mourn at his grave,” says the brother-in-law.