Shamseddin Esmaeili dies under suspicious circumstances in Turkish Prison

Hengaw - Tuesday, June 10, 2025
 
Shamseddin Esmaeili, a young Kurdish man from the Qotur District of Khoy County, has died under suspicious circumstances in Diyarbakir (Amed) Prison in Turkish Kurdistan, 45 days after his arrest. Turkish authorities have ruled his death a suicide, though reports suggest he was subjected to torture during his detention.
 
According to information received by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Esmaeili, 25, was a resident of Hendavan village in the Qotur (Kotol) region of Khoy. He was detained in Diyarbakir and died after 45 days in custody. On Thursday, May 29, 2025, his family was informed of his death, with suicide cited as the official cause.
 
Esmaeili’s body was returned to the family on Wednesday, June 4, and transferred to Iran via the Razi border crossing in Khoy on the evening of Sunday, June 8. It was then sent to Urmia the following morning.
 
Sources close to the case report that Esmaeili had traveled to Turkey in search of work and was arrested at the Diyarbakir bus terminal before being taken to the city’s prison. They added that he was in poor health due to a previous motorcycle accident and was severely tortured while in custody.
 
Despite the suspicious circumstances surrounding his death, authorities have not provided any clear or detailed explanation to the family. The only official statement claimed that he had been found guilty of an unspecified offense.