Mehdi Zare Ashkzari

Mehdi Zare Ashkezari, an Iranian citizen from Ashkezar Yazd and residing in Tehran, was born on 5 March 1992 and passed away during the protests in Iran in 2022.

Reports indicate that he was arrested and tortured during the demonstrations. After being temporarily released, he fell into a coma and died 20 days later. Following his release, he recorded a video in which he referred to his injuries and spoke in Italian. His family and friends stated that they received Mehdi's body under the condition that the cause of death would be declared as "suicide." Meanwhile, the news agency Mizan, after widespread coverage of the incident, claimed that he was injured during the protests and subsequently died in the hospital.

Mehdi Zare's family faced pressure to declare his death as "suicide," and his body was handed over to them on 30 December 2022. The funeral took place on 31 December 2022 at the Ashkezar Yazd cemetery, and a memorial service was held on 1 January 2023 in Ashkezar, attended by a large crowd.

His death received significant coverage in Italian media, and on 1 January 2023, a gathering in support of the protests in Iran was held in Bologna, where Mehdi Zare Ashkezari was remembered.