Ali Bani Asad

Ali Bani Asad (October 19, 2002 – October 19, 2022)

Ali Bani Asad was a 20-year-old young man from Ahvaz. According to his family and people close to him, he had no history of political activity and had not participated in the 2022 protests. Nevertheless, his life ended in a tragic and deeply controversial way in October 2022.
On Monday, October 17, 2022, agents of the Ahvaz Intelligence Department arrested Ali on suspicion of possessing weapons. His family strongly denied the accusation, insisting that there was no evidence against him and that he had never been involved in political or armed activities. Months later, the family reportedly discovered that the arrest had been triggered by a false phone report made out of personal resentment by someone who held a grudge against him.
After his arrest, the family received no information about his condition for several days. Then, on Wednesday, October 19, they received a phone call—reportedly from judicial or security authorities—informing them that Ali had died and that they should come to collect his body.
A few days after being taken into custody, Ali Bani Asad’s body was returned to his family. He was only 20 years old.
The official forensic report listed the cause of death as “kidney failure.” However, relatives stated that Ali had no underlying medical conditions and argued that, if his kidneys had failed, it was most likely the result of severe beatings and torture during detention.
News of his death quickly spread through human rights organizations and independent media outlets. Human rights groups and reports from Iranian media described his death as suspicious and linked to the conditions of his detention at the Ahvaz Intelligence detention center. Some reports referred to Ali Bani Asad as the second Ahwazi Arab citizen to die after arrest by security forces during that period. Before him, another Ahwazi Arab activist, Emad Heydari, had reportedly died after being detained, with his body later returned to his family.
Despite repeated calls for transparency, no fully independent or official investigation publicly clarified the circumstances surrounding Ali’s death. Most available information comes from his family, human rights organizations, and independent reporting. What remains is the story of a 20-year-old man who, according to those who knew him, had no political background, was arrested on an unproven accusation, and died only days later in custody.