Kurdish man Hamed Rezai arrested after violent assault over Instagram post

Hengaw: Sunday, January 19, 2025 

Hamed Rezai, a 29-year-old resident of the village of Bani Sakan in Salasi-e Babajani, has been violently assaulted and arrested by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Intelligence unit following an Instagram story he posted about the deaths of two Supreme Court judges. 

According to reports obtained by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, the arrest occurred on Saturday, January 18, 2025, as Rezai was traveling to Javanrud. Eyewitnesses report that IRGC agents severely beat him in front of his mother and sister at the exit of Salasi-e Babajani. The assault left him unconscious, after which he was taken to a hospital and later transferred to the IRGC Intelligence detention center in the city. 

Rezai’s Instagram post referenced the deaths of two controversial Supreme Court judges, Mohammad Moghiseh and Ali Razini, speculating that the government would attribute the incident to foreign agents. In his post, he wrote: "By tonight, the perpetrator will likely be labeled as an agent of Israel." 

In the aftermath of his arrest, Rezai’s family has been unable to obtain any information about his health or condition, heightening concerns about his safety. Additionally, his brother was involved in a car accident while seeking information about Rezai and is currently hospitalized.