Amid anti-hijab protests, Iran’s celebrity chef Mehrshad Shahidi beaten to death

New Delhi: Iran’s 19-year-old celebrity chef Mehrshad Shahidi was reportedly beaten to death amid the ongoing anti-hijab protests in the country.

The latter was allegedly beaten with batons by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard forces in Arak city and was killed by ruthless blows to his skull. Shahidi, also known as Iran’s Jamie Oliver, was taken into custody by the Revolutionary Guard on eve of his 20th birthday, hours after he was found dead. If reports are to be believed, Numerous citizens took to the streets as they attended the funeral held for Shahidi on Saturday.

The family of the deceased has claimed that they were being pressurised by the authorities to say that Shahidi died of a cardiac arrest, reported The Telegraph.

Meanwhile, the Iranian authorities have denied their role in his death, while as per the country’s Chief Justice Abdolmehdi Mousavi, no signs of fractures or damage have been found on Shahidi’s body.

However, Iran nationals and others are blaming Shahidi’s death on Iranian authorities, expressing solidarity towards his family and anger against the ruling government of the Islamic Republic.

Iranian American author Dr Nina Ansary wrote on social media that Shahidi was a talented and versatile chef, and was mercilessly killed by the Iran security forces just a day before his 20th birthday.

Another user, who claimed to be Shahidi’s cousin claimed that the latter was attacked while he was on his way back home from his workplace Boote Restaurant, after which he fell from his bike, was abducted, and few hours later ‘they’ called his family to collect his body.