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A teenager dubbed the ‘Jamie Oliver of Iran‘ has reportedly been beaten to death by security forced – triggering another wave of protests first sparked by the alleged killing of Mahsa Amini.
Mehrshad Shahidi, a 19-year-old celebrity chef, died on Wednesday while allegedly in the custody of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.
It came as protests over the death of Ms Amini, a 22-year-old woman who reportedly died in custody after being tortured by Iranian morality police for not wearing a hijab properly on September 16, reached a 40th day.
Amini was initially arrested in Tehran for an alleged breach of Iran’s strict dress rules for women based on Islamic sharia law.
Mr Shahidi, meanwhile, is said to have died after receiving injuries to his skull via batons while in custody after being arrested during protests in the city of Arak, human rights organisations have said. His death is claimed to be the 253rd during the demonstrations.
The chef’s family say they have been pushed by Iranian officials to announce he died from a heart attack, The Sunday Telegraph reports.
Mehrshad Shahidi, a 19-year-old celebrity chef, died on Wednesday while allegedly in the custody of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard
Mahsa Amini died in custody on September 16 after she was detained in Tehran by Iranian morality police
An unveiled woman standing on top of a vehicle as thousands make their way towards Aichi cemetery in Saqez, Mahsa Amini’s home town in the western Iranian province of Kurdistan
They told Iran International TV in London: ‘Our son lost his life as a result of receiving baton blows to his head after his arrest, but we have been under pressure by the regime to say that he died of a heart attack.’
The claim is refuted by Iranian officials.
He had 25,000 followers on Instagram and had developed a following through sharing videos of his cooking on social media, with students describing him as popular, energetic and handsome.
Dr Reza Taghizadeh, an Iranian affairs commentator, has warned that his death could cause a ‘second and even greater wave of national protests’.
His comments came as demonstrations erupted again last night as his funeral took place.
Security forces are alleged to have fired tear gas to break up crowds who reportedly chanted ‘Death to the dictator’ and ‘everyone who is killed will be supported by thousands more’.
Norwegian-based Iran Human Rights claimed on Friday that at least 253 people have died in the 40 days of protests since Ms Amini’s death.
Security forces are currently struggling to deal with the extent of the protests, which have now spread into a wider effort to end the Islamic republic.
It comes as a 17-year-old girl was also reportedly been beaten to death with a police riot bat while walking home from school during the protests earlier this week.
Local protesters say teenager Sadaf Movahedi was bludgeoned last Monday night ‘by suppressive forces’ trying to keep the public under control.
They allege her family ‘is being threatened to stay silent’ and would risk their own lives if they were to speak out about the tragedy.
Iran has been gripped by protests since the death of 22-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police last month.
People protest following the death of Mahsa Amini in Iran, in London on Saturday
A protest took place in London yesterday in support of Mahsa Amini
Amini died in custody after her arrest in Tehran for an alleged breach of Iran’s strict dress rules for women based on Islamic sharia law.
The commander of Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guards, Hossein Salami, warned protesters that Saturday would be their last day of taking to the streets.
But the Iranian regime is running out of prison space to house protesters after almost six weeks of riots, sources speaking with MailOnline have said.
Iranian police have been forced to release protesters back on to the street after running out of places to house them, with country-wide demonstrations leaving the Islamic republic thin on resources, according to Iranian residents.
Several demonstrators recently detained by Iranian police were immediately released, MailOnline understands.
According to a document prepared for Ali Khamenei, the regime’s supreme leader and seen by Iranian opposition forces, the Iranian regime arrested 20,445 protesters in the first two weeks of protests.
The report said that 42 percent of those arrested are under the age 20, with many of its members making up the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK).
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