Borzin Hamzehzadeh, a Child Arrested During Nationwide Protests, Dies Due to Torture Injuries

On Wednesday, January 3, the human rights organization "Hangaw" announced that Borzin Hamzehzadeh, a child from Sardasht, who was arrested during the protests last autumn following the death of Mahsa Amini in custody of the morality police, died during surgery at "Khomeini" Hospital in Urmia due to torture-related kidney damage. This human rights organization quoted a source close to Borzin Hamzehzadeh's family, stating that he was arrested at the age of 15 and tortured for a week, resulting in the loss of both kidneys due to severe blows from security forces, leading to physiological dysfunction. The source noted that during this time, Borzin experienced several episodes of reduced consciousness and fainting and was continuously under medical care. Additionally, a relative of Borzin Hamzehzadeh told Hangaw that his death was due to torture and emphasized that this child was in perfect physical and mental health before his arrest and showed no signs of illness. However, due to torture during detention, he fainted several times after his release. This family source stated that security agencies pressured them from Tuesday, January 2, the day Borzin died in the hospital, to refrain from publicizing this news. According to Hangaw's investigations, Borzin Hamzehzadeh was arrested by security forces a few days after the widespread protests on November 20, 2022, and was subjected to severe torture for nearly a week. Symptoms of illness in this child appeared a few days after his release. Activists and human rights organizations report that many teenagers and detainees from the nationwide protests of 2022 have suffered psychological and physical disorders due to torture after their release. The Islamic Republic has consistently denied the use of torture in its prisons and detention centers, but reports and testimonies from numerous political prisoners contradict the claims of the Islamic Republic. Hangaw, citing registered statistics from its documentation center, states that during the "Women, Life, Freedom" movement protests in Kurdistan, over 300 children were arrested by the security agencies of the Islamic Republic in various cities of this province, of which the identities of 193 have been confirmed by Hangaw.