A teenager dubbed “Iran’s Jamie Oliver” was reportedly beaten to death by security forces – sparking another wave of protests first sparked by the alleged killing of Mahsa Amini.
Mehrshad Shahidi, a 19-year-old celebrity chef, died on Wednesday while he was also said to be in Iranian Revolutionary Guard custody.
It came as protests over the death of Ms Amini, a 22-year-old woman who reportedly died in custody after being tortured by Iran’s morality police on September 16 for not wearing a hijab properly, turned 40. reached day.
Amini was first arrested in Tehran for allegedly violating Iran’s strict dress code for women based on Islamic Sharia law.
Mr Shahidi, meanwhile, is believed to have died after he was arrested while in custody at protests in the city of Arak after being hit in the skull with batons, human rights organizations said.
His death is said to have been the 253rd during the demonstrations.
The chef’s family said they were pressured by Iranian officials to announce he had died of a heart attack, The Sunday Telegraph reports.
Mehrshad Shahidi, a 19-year-old celebrity chef, died on Wednesday while he was reportedly in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards custody
Mahsa Amini died in custody on September 16 after being arrested by Iran’s Morality Police in Tehran
An unveiled woman stands on a vehicle as thousands make their way to Aichi Cemetery in Saqez, the hometown of Mahsa Amini in western Iran’s Kurdistan province
They told Iran International TV in London: “Our son died after being arrested by batons to the head, but we were pressured by the regime to say he died of a heart attack.”
The claim is refuted by Iranian officials.
He had 25,000 followers on Instagram and had built a following by sharing videos of his cooking on social media, with students describing him as popular, energetic and handsome.
dr Reza Taghizadeh, a commentator on Iranian affairs, has warned his death could spark a “second and even larger wave of national protests”.
His comments came as demonstrations erupted again last night when his funeral was being held.
Security forces reportedly fired tear gas to disperse crowds who were reportedly chanting “Death to the dictator” and “Anyone killed will be supported by thousands.”
Norway-based Iran Human Rights claimed Friday that at least 253 people have died in the 40 days of protests since Ms Amini’s death.
Security forces are currently struggling to cope with the scale of the protests, which have now escalated into a broader effort to end the Islamic Republic.
A 17-year-old girl was also reportedly beaten to death with a police bat while walking home from school during the protests earlier this week.
Local protesters say teenager Sadaf Movahedi was beaten up “by oppressive forces” last Monday night in a bid to keep the public under control.
They claim her family is “under threat of silence” and would risk their own lives if she spoke out about the tragedy.
Iran has been gripped by protests since the death of 22-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini, who was held in vice squad custody last month.
People protest in London on Saturday following the death of Mahsa Amini in Iran
A protest was held in London yesterday in support of Mahsa Amini
Amini died in custody after being arrested in Tehran for allegedly violating Iran’s strict dress code for women, based on Islamic Sharia law.
Commander of Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guards, Hossein Salami, warned protesters that Saturday would be their last day to take to the streets.
But the Iranian regime is running out of prison space to house protesters after nearly six weeks of unrest, sources speaking to Web said.
Iranian police were forced to let protesters back onto the streets after they ran out of places to house them, with nationwide demonstrations causing the Islamic Republic to run out of resources, according to Iranian residents.
Several protesters who were recently arrested by Iranian police were released immediately, according to Web.
According to a document prepared for Ali Khamenei, the regime’s supreme leader, and viewed by Iranian opposition forces, the Iranian regime arrested 20,445 protesters in the first two weeks of the protests.
According to the report, 42 percent of those arrested are under the age of 20, with many of their members belonging to the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK).