Celebrity Chef Mehrshad Shahidi Beaten To Death By Iran's Security Forces

Celebrity chef Mehrshad Shahidi, also known as Iran’s Jamie Oliver was killed by security forces amid the anti-government protests in the country.

The 19-year-old was beaten to death by the security forces on October 26, a day before his 20th birthday. Shahidi received blows to his skull while in the custody of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard in Arak city.

A relative of Shahidi’s told Iran International TV that Shahidi lost his life as a result of receiving blows to his skull. The relative said, “we have been under pressure by the regime to say that he died of a heart attack”.

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Mehrshad Shahidi

Mehrshad Shahidi worked as a chef at Boote restaurant. During the celebrity chef’s funeral on Saturday, October 29, thousands marched and held anti-government protests.

According to Iran International, Shahidi was arrested on October 25 after he took part in the anti-government protests.

Meanwhile, the Iranian authorities dismissed the claims that they had killed the chef under custody and said the cause of his death would be announced later. Chief Justice of the province, Abdolmehdi Mousavi said there were no signs of brain injury.

During the protest at the funeral, thousands rallied as security personnel allegedly used tear gas to crackdown on the protesters. The demonstrators shouted, “Everyone who is killed will be supported by thousands more”.

Protests in Iran sparked after the tragic death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. The woman was detained by the morality police in Iran for allegedly wearing her hijab “improperly”.

Eyewitnesses reported that she was severely beaten and died as a result of police brutality. Her tragic death resulted in a series of protests that have been described as the largest Iranian protests since at least 2009.

Iranian women took to cutting their hair and burning their hijabs as a sign of protest.

According to Iran’s Human Rights Activists News Agency, 244 protesters, including 32 minors were killed by security forces in the violent crackdown against protests. Reportedly, Iranian security forces fired live ammunition into large groups of demonstrators and brutally beat them with batons.