Elias Kouhkan

Elias Kouhkan is a citizen living in Zahedan. He was under 18 years old at the time of his arrest, and he was arrested at the same time as the protests related to the rape of a Baluch girl by the police chief in areas of Sistan and Baluchistan and the nationwide uprising that occurred in response to the murder of Mahsa Amini.

A few days after the murder of Mahsa Amini, a girl from Saqez who was killed by the morality police in Tehran, Baloch citizens took to the streets of Zahedan in protest of this murder and in solidarity with the national uprising. At the same time, Baloch citizens were also infuriated by the rape of a 15-year-old Baloch girl by the chief of police of Chabahar (Ebrahim Kouchakzaei). After the temporary Friday-prayer Imam of Rask (Abdol- Ghaffar Naghshbandi) confirmed the rape, people’s anger reached a new level. In the early days of fall protests occurred in several towns including Chabahar and Iranshahr. On Friday, September 30th, after the Friday-prayer, the people of Zahedan gathered in protest in front of a police station and expressed solidarity with the national uprising and their disgust for the rape of the 15-year-old-girl. The state forces attacked the gathering with live ammunition and killed over 100 people (including 14 children) and wounded dozens. The attack led to widespread protests in the region and arrests of dozens of Baloch citizens. <symbol-timeline></symbol-timeline>

• <coverage-outsourcing id='46797'> According to an Atlas source, Elias Kouhkan was going to the repair shop when he was arrested by the security forces and taken to an unknown location. His arrest took place at the same time as nationwide protests in Iran in response to the murder of Mahsa Amini. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='46798'> An informed source told the Atlas researcher that Yasin Kobdani, Benyamin Kouhkan, Elias Kouhkan, and Mohammad Darvish Naroei were transferred from Zahedan Intelligence Police Detention Center to this city's prison. This source emphasized that they were deprived of the right to have a lawyer and contact with their families during their detention. Also, during this period, despite the repeated follow-ups of their families, the judicial and security officials of Zahedan have refused to respond to them. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='47147'> According to an Atlas source, the mother of Elias and Benyamin Kouhkan was able to have a short visit with Benyamin in Zahedan prison. During this visit, Benyamin informed his mother that during the period of detention, he was subjected to severe physical and mental torture, and by showing the blisters on the soles of his feet, he said that the security forces severely beat him with a hose and sexually harassed him. He also reported that he fainted twice due to torture in the detention center and said that he was taken to the medical center by ambulance. </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='48130'> <reference source='https://twitter.com/AussieInspector/status/1630415196060782593?t=iGKM5IQy6RSJthAXMDN0qA&s=19'> Michael Soker, a member of the Australian Parliament, assumed the political sponsorship of fourteen prisoners arrested in the 2022 uprisings, including Elias Kouhkan. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>
• <coverage-outsourcing id='50192'> <reference source='https://haalvsh.org/2023/04/04/12481/'> Haalvsh published the news of the continued detention and lack of decision of Benyamin Kouhkan, Elias Kouhkan, Yasin Kobdani, and Mohammad Darvish Naroei. Based on the report, during their detention, they have been subjected to many tortures, including hanging, and threats of death in order to obtain forced confessions. </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>