Kurdish Human Rights Sources: A Kurdish Citizen Killed Under Torture by Security Forces
The Hengaw human rights organization, which reports human rights violations in Kurdish-populated areas of Iran, says that Mehrdad Taleshi, a 21-year-old young man from Divandarreh city, was killed under torture by security forces in Tehran.
In reports published about Mr. Taleshi’s arrest, there are different accounts regarding the location of his detention.
Some sources reported that intelligence officers went to his home and arrested him, but the Hengaw human rights organization reported that Mr. Taleshi was arrested on January 3 by security forces at Tehran’s Bazaar Metro station along with another person on charges of “drug possession” and was taken to the intelligence office on Shapour Street.
No reports have yet been published regarding the identity and fate of the other person arrested alongside Mr. Taleshi.
A person close to Mr. Taleshi’s family stated that two days after this person’s arrest, on the evening of January 5, the Baharloo Hospital in Tehran contacted his family and announced that Mehrdad Taleshi’s body was at the hospital.
According to this report, hospital officials told his family that they had received the body from the intelligence office and knew nothing about the cause of Mr. Taleshi’s death, but “clear signs of beating were visible on his head and neck.”
The Avatoday website also reported that intelligence office officials said Mr. Taleshi “had a heart attack due to fear of arrest.”
In these reports, Mehrdad Taleshi was described as an athlete with “no criminal record and history of drug use,” and the accusation of “drug possession” against Mr. Taleshi was described as “suspicious.”
In other reports published on social networks, Mr. Taleshi was referred to as an artist and activist in the field of music.
Mr. Taleshi’s body was carried to its final rest on January 29 in Sanandaj, and his mourning ceremony was held on Monday, January 30, “in a completely security-controlled environment” and in a limited manner in Divandarreh city.
Source: Radio Farda
