Teenager Barzin Hamzeh-Zadeh Was Tortured to Death in Iranian Prison, Hengaw Says
January 9, 2024
By Natasha Phillips
Barzin Hamzeh-Zadeh, a 16-year-old Kurdish boy arrested in November 2022 during the ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ protests in Iran, died on Jan. 4 of injuries sustained while being tortured in prison, the human rights organization Hengaw has said.
Hengaw monitors human rights violations in Iran with a focus on Kurdish areas in the country and has volunteers working for it in Germany, Kurdistan and Norway.
Barzin, who was 15 years old at the time of his arrest, told his friends while in detention that officials prevented him from using the bathroom for long periods of time and gave him contaminated water to drink, leading to acute dehydration and severe abdominal pain. Security forces are also alleged to have beaten Barzin so severely that he lost both kidneys.
Concerned that the teenager could die from his ill treatment, officials sent Barzin to a medical center in Urmia, a city in the West Azerbaijan province of Iran, according to Hengaw. There, his condition worsened, and he was transferred to a hospital in Tehran. Doctors at the hospital diagnosed Barzin with an autoimmune disorder, and recommended dialysis as a form of treatment following suspected kidney failure, Hengaw added.
Medical research has found that autoimmune disorders can be brought on by torture and other deeply traumatic events.
The details of Barzin’s experience in the detention center, subsequent medical treatment and a video showing his arrest were published by Hengaw in a Jan. 7 post on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter.
“Doctors have emphasized that a disorder at this level, without the existence of genetic and hereditary factors, can only be caused by continuous and severe physical and mental pressures,” the post said.
The video showing Barzin’s arrest on a street in Iran includes a series of distressing scenes, including officers dragging him on the ground and threatening him. Several members of Iran’s security forces can be seen surrounding the teenager and forcing him into a vehicle.
https://t.me/PN_KFP/86449?single
January 9, 2024
By Natasha Phillips
Barzin Hamzeh-Zadeh, a 16-year-old Kurdish boy arrested in November 2022 during the ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ protests in Iran, died on Jan. 4 of injuries sustained while being tortured in prison, the human rights organization Hengaw has said.
Hengaw monitors human rights violations in Iran with a focus on Kurdish areas in the country and has volunteers working for it in Germany, Kurdistan and Norway.
Barzin, who was 15 years old at the time of his arrest, told his friends while in detention that officials prevented him from using the bathroom for long periods of time and gave him contaminated water to drink, leading to acute dehydration and severe abdominal pain. Security forces are also alleged to have beaten Barzin so severely that he lost both kidneys.
Concerned that the teenager could die from his ill treatment, officials sent Barzin to a medical center in Urmia, a city in the West Azerbaijan province of Iran, according to Hengaw. There, his condition worsened, and he was transferred to a hospital in Tehran. Doctors at the hospital diagnosed Barzin with an autoimmune disorder, and recommended dialysis as a form of treatment following suspected kidney failure, Hengaw added.
Medical research has found that autoimmune disorders can be brought on by torture and other deeply traumatic events.
The details of Barzin’s experience in the detention center, subsequent medical treatment and a video showing his arrest were published by Hengaw in a Jan. 7 post on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter.
“Doctors have emphasized that a disorder at this level, without the existence of genetic and hereditary factors, can only be caused by continuous and severe physical and mental pressures,” the post said.
The video showing Barzin’s arrest on a street in Iran includes a series of distressing scenes, including officers dragging him on the ground and threatening him. Several members of Iran’s security forces can be seen surrounding the teenager and forcing him into a vehicle.
https://t.me/PN_KFP/86449?single
Comments
Be the first to add a comment
Log in to comment