20-year-old Kurdish student in Arak killed with batons by Iranian government forces

Hengaw: Thursday, November 11, 2022.

Alireza Karimi, a 20-year-old Kurdish student from Islamabad-e-Gharb (Shabad), Kermanshah province, was killed with batons by the Iranian government’s repressive forces during student protests in Arak city, in central Iran.

According to the report received by the Hengaw human rights organization, Alireza Karimi, a microbiology student at Arak University, suffered a brain concussion due to multiple baton strikes to his head by the Iranian government forces and died on Wednesday, November 9, 2022, during the student protests at Arak University.

A relative of Karimi's family said in an interview with Hengaw: "Alireza was a second-year student, and after he was severely injured in the head with batons of the government forces during the student protests at Arak University, he returned to his rented house, and after a few hours he passed away due to the severity of his injuries and brain trauma."

This person also added: "Alireza Karimi was a tenant of an old woman, and her body was found in the house bleeding from the ear."

Hengaw has been informed that the Iranian security agencies have handed over the body of Alireza Karimi to the family on the condition that the family declares the cause of his death to be suicide; otherwise, Mr. Jalil Karimi and Sosan Moradi, Alireza's parents, who are teachers, will be fired.

The source further stated that the Iranian security institutions insisted that the funeral ceremony be held on Thursday evening without any formality, which was postponed to 9 a.m. on Friday due to the strong opposition of the family.

Despite all this, the security institutions have not allowed Alireza Karimi's body to be buried in his family cemetery, Imamzadeh Hasan Cemetery, located in Hamil district, and the funeral ceremony will be held in Bagh-e Rezvan in Islamabad-e Gharb under the pressure of these institutions.