One of the residents of a center for people with disabilities in Hamadan Province, Iran, died after being beaten by staff at the facility.
On Wednesday, December 18, Iranian media reported that a 38-year-old man with intellectual disabilities was assaulted by staff at a supportive home overseen by Hamadan’s Welfare Organization and passed away.
Following this incident, Abbas Najafi, the prosecutor of Hamadan Province, announced the initiation of a judicial case and its referral to an investigative branch. He added that arrest warrants had been issued for the suspects under the charge of intentional assault and battery.
Acts of violence and mistreatment against citizens with disabilities have occurred previously in the country.
In March 2024, the Disabilities Campaign released a video on X, revealing incidents of harassment, assault, battery, and exorbitant fees at the Mehr-Afarin Center for Men with Mental Illness in Karaj.
Iran’s official news agency, IRNA, reported on December 18 regarding the deceased individual in Hamadan, stating that the initial examination by the Forensic Medicine Organization confirmed evidence of assault and battery, but final conclusions were contingent on an autopsy and necessary tests.
IRNA quoted Hamadan’s prosecutor, saying the suspects were released on bail by the case investigator after spending one night in detention, pending the final forensic results.
Despite the prosecutor’s remarks, the deputy director of Hamadan’s Welfare Organization stated that the center’s staff were not employees of the organization and that the facility was regularly monitored by the welfare department.
Previously, on December 17, the head of the Iranian Institute for Population Studies announced that one in six people aged 60 and older had experienced some form of abuse in social settings over the past year.
Mohammad Javad Mahmoudi added: “The rate of abuse of elderly individuals in institutions such as nursing homes and long-term care centers is high.”
In August 2023, a video showing violent behavior towards individuals with intellectual disabilities at a care center in Bushehr was circulated.
In June 2023, IRNA reported that staff at the Fatemeh Zahra Rehabilitation Center in Jahrom subjected several individuals with disabilities to harm by burning them with lighters.
In recent years, individuals with disabilities in Iran have frequently held protests against the non-implementation of the Disability Protection Law.
