On Wednesday (October 26), a 19-year-old celebrity chef named Mehrshad Shahidi breathed his last after he was beaten by the Iran security forces in the custody amid the seventh week of ongoing anti-Hijab protests in several parts of Iran. The deceased had participated in the protest and was arrested by the Revolutionary Guard in Arak city. He was later beaten with batons while in the custody, resulting in his death.
According to the reports, the now-deceased chef was detained at the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Intelligence’s detention center. His family members said that the 19-year-old chef was killed after he received baton blows on his head. His family members also said that his skull was damaged but the authorities have insisted that he died of a heart attack.
“Our son lost his life as a result of receiving baton blows to his head after his arrest, but we have been under pressure by the regime to say that he has died of a heart attack”, one of the relatives of Mehrshad said. The incident resulted in thousands of protesters taking to the streets on Saturday, during the funeral held for Shahidi. “Everyone who is killed will be supported by thousands more”, the demonstrators chanted.
Meanwhile, Iranian authorities have denied claims that the chef was murdered in custody and stated that the cause of his death will be revealed later. “There are no signs of fractures in the arms, legs, skull, or any brain injury”, said Abdolmehdi Mousavi, the province’s Chief Justice. Also, the Deputy Governor of the province, Behnam Nazari said that rumors were being spread by the anti-Iran media and that no bullets were shot at Mehrshad Shahidi. However, the locals confirmed to the media that the chef was arrested during a protest and was taken to custody where he was beaten to death.
The deceased was known as Iran’s Jamie Oliver and was reportedly killed a day before his 20th birthday. He had 25000 followers on Instagram and had posted quite a few videos of him cooking. “He was a talented young chef at Boote Restaurant. He was ruthlessly killed by security forces in Iran. Tomorrow would have been his 20th birthday. We will never forget it. We will never forgive”, Iranian American author Dr. Nina Ansary was quoted saying.
As per the reports, Shahidi’s funeral was conducted on Saturday in the city. Thousands of protesters took to the streets to protest against Shahidi’s death. “Everyone who is killed will be supported by thousands more”, the demonstrators chanted. Meanwhile, the security personnel used tear gas to disperse the crowd.
Violence erupted across Iran in response to the death of Mahsa Amini, who was beaten to death by the IRGC for failing to comply with the country’s mandatory hijab regulations. At least a dozen doctors, journalists, and artists have been arrested in Iran as a result of the outrage over Mahsa Amini’s death.
Mahsa Amini’s custodial death sparks anti-hijab protests across Iran
According to the reports, 22-year-old Mahsa Amini was abducted by the ‘morality police’ in Tehran for not complying with the mandatory hijab laws of the country. Amini who was on a pleasure trip to Tehran had not covered her hair ‘properly’ with the hijab. She was arrested by the police and then beaten in the police van while being taken to a detention center, dubbed as a ‘re-education class’ for not conforming to the country’s mandatory hijab rules.
The police took the woman to the police station on Vozara Avenue where already dozens of other women were being held for not following the hijab rules. They beat the women and schooled them about the proper dress rules of the country. Mahsa was brutally beaten and taken to the hospital after she stopped responding in the custody. The doctors at the hospital stated that her heart continued to beat but her brain was no longer functioning. The woman breathed her last three days after the incident.
Her killing sparked massive protests in Iran, with women taking to the streets to up raise their voices against the regime. Several women, including school-going girls, burnt their hijabs in sympathy with the tragedy, while women all throughout the world trimmed their hair in the protest. Protests erupted in dozens of places around the country in the aftermath of her death after which the government retaliated with a harsh crackdown.
However, three weeks after the death of Amini, Iran’s Forensic Organisation revealed a report stating that the woman had died due to illness and not due to blows and beatings given to her in police custody. Earlier, the Police had also tried to cover up the matter claiming that Mahsa was already suffering from a heart problem and that she was never beaten in the custody.