Iranian Businessman Dies After Beating While Under Arrest, Rights Group Says

An Iranian businessman has died as a result of being beaten while under arrest, human rights group the Abdorrahman Boroumand Foundation reported. The report states that Hesam Alaeedin went to the security authorities to follow up on the status of his detained brother. The rights group added that Alaeddin’s brother had been accused of using Starlink equipment to access the internet, and that he too had been subjected to violence by security agents. Euronews could not independently verify the reports due to internet shutdowns and restrictions in Iran, while the judiciary’s official position remains unclear. The exact time of Hesam Alaeedin’s death and his brother’s arrest is not known, but some unconfirmed reports say his body was buried last Wednesday after being handed over to his family. Hesam Alaeedin, 40, a father of two, was a member of the well-known Alaeedin family, after whom a shopping centre in Tehran is named. It was at this site that protests over rising prices and inflation broke out in December last year and quickly spread to other cities across Iran. Iranian authorities cut off access to the internet 64 days ago, coinciding with the United States and Israeli military attack. During this period, most of the population has been cut off from the global internet, with only a very small number of high-income individuals reportedly able to obtain Starlink equipment through unofficial channels, leaving the vast majority without connectivity. Meanwhile, Iranian officials have warned that owners and users of Starlink equipment face legal action.