Iranian Teen Protester Dies After Brutal Torture By Regime

Barzin Hamzeh-Zadeh, a young protester tortured by the Islamic Republic's security forces for a week in 2022 has died from injuries sustained during detention.

Information provided by the Hengaw Human Rights Organization, a Kurdish rights group, and the Human Rights Campaign of Iran discloses that Hamzeh-Zadeh, who endured "severe internal organ injuries due to beatings and mistreatment by authorities," died on Tuesday during surgery at Imam Khomeini Hospital in Urmia after enduring 13 months of suffering.

Hamzeh-Zadeh, only 15 years old at the time, was detained during the 2022 Woman Life Freedom protests. He was subjected to torture for a week, resulting in severe internal organ injuries caused by beatings and mistreatment by the security agents.

According to an informed source close to his family, he lost both kidneys due to the intensity of the security forces' beatings, leading to physiological dysfunction. Over the past year, Hamzeh-Zadeh experienced unconsciousness multiple times, necessitating repeated medical attention.

A relative revealed that prior to his detention, he was in excellent physical and mental health, showing no signs of illness. However, following his release, he lost consciousness multiple times, directly attributed to the torture inflicted during detention.

Security authorities have reportedly pressured Hamzeh-Zadeh's family to withhold the news from the public. The incident follows the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody in September 2022, sparking widespread protests across Iran. According to human rights sources, over 500 protesters, including numerous children, lost their lives during the subsequent crackdown.

Amid the ongoing human rights crisis, the Iranian authorities have not only failed to prosecute those responsible for the atrocities but have also intensified their oppression, detaining, summoning, or imprisoning family members of the victims.