Ahwazi activist dies under torture in iranian intelligence detention center in Ahwaz
Ahwazi human rights sources have reported the death of Arab cultural activist Hassan Saadi, son of Qassem, aged 34, on October 15, 2025, as a result of severe torture inside the detention cells of the Iranian Intelligence Agency in Ahwaz.
According to human rights activists, intelligence forces raided Saadi’s home at dawn on Tuesday in the city of Malathani, north of Ahwaz. They arrested him after brutally beating him in front of his family, and confiscated his and his relatives’ mobile phones during the raid.
The sources added that the Intelligence Directorate contacted Saadi’s family on Wednesday afternoon, summoning them to its headquarters in the Amanieh district of Ahwaz, where officials informed them that their son had died of a “heart failure.” However, the family strongly denied this claim, asserting that Hassan had been in good health and had no history of illness.
They also said authorities told them they would be contacted later regarding the body’s release a statement that has raised serious suspicions of an attempted cover-up.
Born in 1991, Hassan Saadi was married and the father of two daughters. He lived in Malathani and worked in the cultural field.
He had previously been arrested several times for participating in peaceful protests demanding cultural and national rights for the Ahwazi Arab people.
This crime comes amid a widening campaign of repression and arrests across Ahwazi cities in recent days, following the execution of six Arab prisoners. Iranian security and intelligence forces have launched extensive raids and summonses targeting activists in cultural, media, and civil society sectors, as well as social media activists.
Human rights activists and organizations have condemned what they described as a “murder under torture,” calling for an urgent international investigation and for those responsible for Saadi’s death to be held accountable.
They stressed that the continuation of such violations reflects a systematic policy aimed at suppressing Ahwazi Arab identity and silencing voices demanding freedom and justice.
