By Kayhan Life Staff
A 17-year-old Iranian by the name of Mani Rahmani, who was arrested after demonstrating against the regime in January and supporting former Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi on Instagram, has died as a result of injuries sustained while in prison, including repeated blows to the head with metal rods and batons, and other forms of torture, according to a source close to his family.
Rahmani was returning home on Jan. 22 from the barbershop where he worked in the northwestern town of Takestan when he was arrested in the city center by agents of the Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the source said. After nearly six days of searches and inquiries, Mani’s relatives found out about his wheareabouts from acquaintances in the police force, the source added.
Eventually, authorities agreed to release him after his parents pledged in writing that their son would not be seen in the city center again. Yet when Mani returned home, his parents discovered that he had been subjected to severe beatings while in custody, the source said.
According to the source, security agents had struck him repeatedly with metal rods and batons, targeting his head, back, and legs. His injuries were so extensive that he could not stand without assistance, the source added.
Despite the severity of their son’s condition, Mani’s parents were too fearful of possible repercussions from security forces to take him to a hospital. He was treated at home by a family friend who was a physician. The seriousness of his injuries required the use of strong painkillers, and his condition continued to worsen each day.
On March 8, Mani reportedly developed severe dizziness and intense headaches. His parents took him to a hospital, telling medical staff that he had taken the wrong medication to ensure that he receive treatment. According to the account, hospital personnel deliberately failed to provide adequate care.
Mani fell into a coma and was transferred by ambulance to the provincial capital, Ghazvin. After three hours of resuscitation efforts and CPR at the hospital, the teenager suffered cardiac arrest and died.
The source, who is familiar with the Rahmani family, added: “One of Mani Rahmani’s friends, who had been detained alongside him, later told the family that Mani lost consciousness three times as a result of the torture he endured. However, there is no precise information about whether he was administered any substances while in custody. Mani had previously said that the authorities gave him a large quantity of water.”
Referring to Rahmani’s burial on March 8, the source emphasized: “On the same day, several members of the IRGC approached the family and proposed holding a memorial ceremony for him while publicly identifying him as a Basij member. Mani Rahmani’s father reportedly rejected the proposal.”
