“What sin did my child commit that you emptied 24 bullets into his stomach?”
That’s the question parents of a 17-year-old boy posed to Iranian authorities after he was reportedly shot dead at close range by state forces during anti-government protests.
According to figures provided by human rights groups, over 200 people have died since the protests broke out in Iran over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini — who had been arrested in September for not wearing her head covering or hijab properly.
As the protests continue to roil the country, here’s taking a better look at the murdered teen and the anger surrounding it.
What we know about teen’s death
According to reported information, Abolfazl Adinezadeh, 17, joined an anti-government protest on 8 October in Iran’s second largest city, Mashhad.
His parents did not know anything about his presence on the day, but, as per reports, they were called to pick up their son from the police station the following day. When they arrived, they found he was dead.
As per a BBC report, Abolfazl died as a result of liver and kidney damage caused by birdshot. Doctors, according to sources, said that it was fired from less than one metre away.
In a video circulating on social media, the teen’s father, Ali Adinezadeh, said his son was killed near an underpass while taking part in a protest in Mashhad.
“I just want to know what sin my child had committed that you emptied 24 bullets into his stomach,” he said in the clip posted on the messaging app Telegram.
“The people who were there, apparently in the direction of the Bahonar underpass, the Park Roundabout underpass, there they did this to my son.”
Family and friends describe Abolfazl as a happy teen who danced and laughed all the time and made people smile. He used to work at a mobile shop fixing phones, but on that fateful day, angry about the situation in the country, he decided to join the protests.
Les miliciens du régime ont tué Abolfazl Adinezadeh, 17 ans, par balle à bout portant dans la ville de Mashhad. Ses amis disent qu’il adorait rire. @BBCParham #IranProtests #مهسا_امینی #زن_زندگی_آزادی pic.twitter.com/fPSZoZYNkZ
— L’important (@Limportant_fr) October 20, 2022
Pressured into keeping mum
Abolfazl’s parents are numb with the pain after their loss, but they also fear for the future.
Reports state that Iranian security officials had put pressure on the parents to claim that the boy was a member of the Basij.
“You zip your mouth and do not talk to media,” Ali Abolfazl was warned, sources told the BBC.
The news agency further added that the authorities were present during Abolfazl’s funeral, shushing mourners who wanted to express their anger. Some mourners were also stopped after the funeral and asked to delete the videos from their mobile phones.
Also read: Why Indian liberals are not talking about anti-hijab protests in Iran
Iran’s deadly protests
Since Mahsa Amini’s death on 16 September, large-scale protests have taken place and Gen Z has emerged as the regime’s fiercest opponents.
Schoolgirls have been seen on videos circulating on social media dangling their headscarves in the air yelling “freedom, freedom” as well as sticking up their middle fingers at an image of the Islamic republic president.
It feels like a dream to watch this video.
Am I watching a movie?
Young school girls, no older than 10-12, with their headscarves in hand, march confidently down the Iran street while chanting, "women, life, freedom!"#MahsaAmini #ZhinaAmini pic.twitter.com/XcyqnjIhNc
— Yashar Ali 🐘 یاشار (@yashar) October 17, 2022
In another protest, university students are seen with painted hands in mock blood, screaming and chanting the names of their friends who have died.
Students at Azad University in Sohanak stage a performance to protest against the murders committed by the Islamic Republic regime. #Tehran , Oct 09, 22. #IranProtests2022 #MahsaAmini #Mahsa_Amini pic.twitter.com/earb1tFSgC
— IranWire (@IranWireEnglish) October 9, 2022
In an attempt to crackdown on these protests, Iranian authorities have launched a series of raids on schools, with officers forcing their way into classrooms, violently arresting the students and in some case, brutally assaulting them — resulting in their death.
On 13 October, Amnesty International released a statement, saying that at least 23 children had died at the hands of the authorities during the protests.
The human rights group said that the victims included 20 boys aged between 11 and 17; and three girls, two of whom were 16 years and one 17-year-old. Most of the boys were killed by security forces unlawfully firing live ammunition at them. Two boys died after being shot with metal pellets at close range, while three girls and a boy died after fatal beatings by security forces.
At least 23 children have been killed by security forces in Iran. pic.twitter.com/DsiVGUDPo6
— Amnesty International (@amnesty) October 14, 2022
On Thursday, reports also came in of 16-year-old Asra Panahi was killed reportedly by Iranian security services after she was beaten in her classroom for refusing to sing a pro-regime song when her school was raided last week.
The Coordinating Council of Teachers Syndicates in Iran had confirmed Panahi’s death and condemned the “brutal and inhumane” raids, demanding the resignation of Iran’s education minister, Yousef Nouri.
With inputs from agencies
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