Fresh demonstrations erupt over alleged custodial death of teen celebrity chef in Iran

In the midst of the ongoing turmoil in Iran over the tragic demise of Mahsa Amini in the morality police’s custody, a young chef dubbed "Jamie Oliver of Iran" has lost his life after being beaten to death by police while in their custody. This incident sparked fresh demonstrations in the nation. Celebrity chef Mehrshad Shahidi was allegedly being imprisoned by Iran's Revolutionary Guard when he passed away on Wednesday, Mirror reported. 

As per local media, the young man was detained during a demonstration and allegedly beaten to death with batons in the IRGC Intelligence's prison facility. When he was taken into custody for demonstrating in Arak, where security personnel allegedly struck him over the head with batons, leaving him with several skull injuries. 

According to human rights organisations, Shahidi's demise has been marked as the 253rd fatality since protests commenced when the 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman, died in a similar manner. 

Furthermore, Shahidi's family said in a statement to Iran International TV in London, “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 died of a heart attack", Mirror reported.  

Meanwhile, Iranian officials denied abusing the teen chef while they had him in their custody. Abdolmehdi Mousavi, the province's chief justice, stated on Friday that there were "no signs of fractures in the arms, legs, skull, or any brain injury", The Sun reported. 

Further, no shots have been fired at Mehrshad Shahidi, despite what the anti-Iran media is reporting, according to the province's deputy governor, Behnam Nazari. 

Iran protests

Besides this, the funeral ceremony for Shahidi took place on Friday night, and despite a warning from the head of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), protests went on as usual. Demonstrators marched and dodged as security personnel used tear gas to disperse the masses while yelling "Death to the dictator." 

Previously, the head of the IRGC had given demonstrators a warning by saying that Saturday would be their last day of demonstrations. The warning was an indication that the security forces could be preparing to step up their ruthless assault on the upheaval that is sweeping the nation, The Mirror reported.  

A commentator on Iranian politics, Dr. Reza Taghizadeh claimed that the killing had sparked a "second and even greater wave of national protests against the regime in the same way Mahsa Amini’s death did a month ago”. 

Notably, since the beginning of the demonstrations which spurred after Amini passed away on September 16, Iran has seen internet outages, limitations on what Iranians may look for online, and interference with social media activity.  

(Image: Twitter/ @vader3_gay/ AP)