Amirhossein Rahimi, 15-Year-Old Teenager, in Prison or Juvenile Detention Center

According to public reports, 15-year-old Amirhossein Rahimi, who was detained during the protests, spent two months in prison.

Amirhossein Rahimi was detained by security forces in Fardis during nationwide protests. According to public reports, Amirhossein spent two months in the Basij Intelligence Prison, and due to a number of pellets embedded in his head and neck, he was not allowed medical treatment. After his release, he sought medical attention. Additionally, Amirhossein turned 15 years old while in prison. Following his release, his family reported the presence of pellets in his head and neck.

However, contradictory reports released by state news agencies tell a different story. The General Judiciary of Alborz Province announced that the accused “Amirhossein Rahimi” made no mention in any of his statements, whether before officers or judicial authorities at the prosecutor’s office, of being injured or having pellets in his body. How is it possible that security forces fired pellet rounds at a person and wounded him (especially in the head and neck area, which is clearly visible), yet they themselves did not notice these wounds and claim that Amirhossein made no statement about being injured?

The Public Relations and Communications Office of the General Judiciary of Alborz Province also announced: Amirhossein Rahimi was arrested at the scene of disturbances in Fardis while carrying a Molotov cocktail by one of the judiciary officers and was transferred to the Shahid Kachooee Juvenile Detention Center, and the rumor of him going to prison has no basis.

The point here is: a government that has used Basij militia members, plainclothes agents, and even some teenagers to suppress people and fires at them from close range without regard to age—how do they send law enforcement and juvenile detention officers separately into the streets to deal with protesters? Forces that have not hesitated to kill these very children and have even damaged their eyes—how can they talk about reform and education and claim they are sending Amirhossein and those like him to juvenile detention centers rather than to prison?

Unfortunately, the Islamic Republic government wants to cover up one lie with another lie, oblivious to the fact that such behavior only further exposes their own crimes.