Family told missing teen was alive, then received his body 60 days later

Amir-Mohammad Shahkarami, an eighth-grade student, vanished as security forces suppressed demonstrations in Shahre Qods, located west of Tehran. For two months, his family faced a series of conflicting reports from Iranian authorities regarding his safety.

On January 10, two days after he went missing, the boy's mobile phone was turned on. Government agents used the device to contact the family and tell them he was alive. Officials at the local judiciary later supported this account, telling the parents that the teenager was in custody and that a court had already issued a sentence against him.

The family also tried to find information through the Department of Education, but officials there labeled his file as "confidential" and refused to speak.

A 'finish-off' shot

After 60 days of silence, forensic officials finally called the family to identify a body. The body of the 14-year-old was delivered to the family.

When the family examined the body, they found a gunshot wound to the temple, a type of injury often described by rights groups as a "finish-off" shot. Large bruises also covered his chest and side.

Patterns of deception

The teenager’s death highlights the uncertainty facing many families of young detainees who disappeared during the January protests. Despite the assurances given to his parents in the weeks following his disappearance, the physical evidence on his body pointed to a violent death.

Rights groups have documented cases where Iranian authorities provide families with false information about the health or legal status of detained relatives to delay public reporting or to manage the fallout of deaths in custody.

The Iranian government has not explained why various state agencies told the family the boy was alive and sentenced while he was either already dead or facing terminal abuse in custody.