A 16-year-old Iranian boy, who was shot deliberately by regime forces during protests, succumbed to his injuries after eight months.
Abolfazl Amir-Ataei died Saturday after enduring great suffering from a severe head injury amid protests in Shahr-e Ray south of Tehran during Iran’s “Woman Life Freedom” movement.
Informed sources told the Hegaw Human Rights Organization that Amir-Ataei was shot in close range by government forces, with a tear gas projectile striking him from a meter away, causing a critical injury and shattering his skull.
He underwent several major surgeries, and finally, on May 21, his mother published a video showing that he could move his fingers and react to his mother's words; however, in less than a week he passed away.
Abolfazl was taken to the hospital the same day after being hit, but some relatives of the teenager said government agents forced his family not to complain to any institution.
The young man’s mother, who endured the excruciating pain caused by Abolfazl’s injuries, posted an image of her son on Instagram, saying "my moon vanished, I wish demise of yours too".
During the protests following the death in custody of Mahsa Amini in September, hundreds of children and teenagers were killed, injured, and thousands imprisoned by the regime.
Human rights organizations identified at least 70 children and teenagers killed during the protests.
The underage protesters were killed by direct shots to their heart and head or being beaten by the regime forces.
As the number of children killed in the protests increased, "Death to the Child-killing Regime" turned into one of the main slogans in street rallies or chanted over rooftops.