Buali Sina University Denies Security's Prevention of Ambulance Entry to Save a Student's Life

Following reports of the death of a female student at Buali Sina University in Hamadan, who had attempted suicide, due to the university's security preventing an ambulance from entering, the university's student affairs office issued a statement denying these claims. The Hengaw website reported on Friday, June 21, that it had received reports indicating that a fourth-year architecture student named Kimia Torkashvand, from Toyserkan in Hamadan province, had committed suicide in the female dormitory 'Dabagh' of the university and lost her life due to 'the lack of active efforts to save her by governmental entities.' The report stated that 'the university security's 40-minute delay in allowing the ambulance to enter led to the death of this young student.' A fellow student told Hengaw, 'After a 40-minute delay, during the transfer to the ambulance, security personnel prevented Kimia from being taken inside the ambulance on the grounds of her inappropriate clothing, and ultimately, after she changed her attire and with a 10-minute delay, she was transferred to the ambulance but lost her life during the transfer.' The student affairs office of Buali Sina University issued a statement claiming that on Thursday evening, June 21, after being informed of a 'self-harm' incident involving one of the undergraduate students from the 2021 intake of the architecture program in the university dormitory, and considering the presence of an emergency medical station on campus, 'immediately after the dormitory supervisor's call, the emergency personnel arrived at the student's side without delay and as quickly as possible.' The statement claimed that the emergency team 'performed the necessary initial actions on-site and immediately transferred her to the hospital for further treatment.' The student affairs office rejected Hengaw's report about the ambulance's entry prevention, stating that the university's security manager 'along with the university management team made every effort from the very first moments to save this dear student's life and expedite medical procedures.' The statement also added that investigations revealed Kimia Torkashvand 'had visited the university's counseling and health center multiple times due to personal mental health issues and had a file at this center.' No precise information has yet been released regarding the reasons for this student's suicide. Previously, multiple reports of 'suicides' among protesting students had been published, which their families denied. During the 'Women, Life, Freedom' protests that began after the death of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini while in custody by the morality police, there were numerous reports of the killing and 'suspicious deaths' of protesters, including student demonstrators, but judicial and security officials of the Islamic Republic have often cited suicide, poisoning, cardiac arrest, accidents, falls from heights, and similar causes as reasons for their deaths.