A FORMER bodybuilding champion has been left beaten and injured after extensive torture in an Iranian prison.
The shocking photos show a dramatic transformation from Khaled Pirzadeh's former self to a shell of a man.
In a voice note sent to the Javaid Rehman, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, the extent of the regime's abuse was revealed.
Khaled was held in the notorious Evin Prison on the outskirts of Tehran until 2021, where he was beaten mercilessly.
Khaled said: "I am talking to you from the dungeons of oppression and tyranny in Iran.
"For more than sixteen months, I have been hospitalized in Ahvaz Central Prison due to the injuries caused by the brutal agents of the Islamic republic."
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While in detention, Khaled suffered from a broken left leg, fractured spine, kidney failure and heart problems.
The political prisoner has said more than 6,000 pain relievers and900 serums have been injected into him since his injuries.
His weight dropped from 127kg to a miniscule 57kg in a short amount of time.
The vile authorities continue to deny treatment to Khaled, and he continues to suffer behind prison walls.
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Despite the terrible treatment, Khaled has gone on multiple hunger strikes to raise awareness of Iran's mistreatment of prisoners.
He said: "I said all this so that you know that freedom of speech and human rights in the Republic of Iran is a big lie."
In 2021, he was transferred to Ahvaz prison in the southwest of the country, a considerable distance from where he and his family lived.
The former bodybuilding great was arrested in 2018 on charges of "assembly and collusion with the intention of disrupting the security of the country" and "insulting the leadership.”
Evin is often dubbed the "world's worst prison" – and is usually reserved for political prisoners.
In the prison's courtyard, prisoners are still executed by hanging — Iran executes more people every year than every other in the world except China.
The cells packed with prisoners bake in the unbearable 45C heat in the summer with no air conditioning.
The Iranian National Guard has come under intense scrutiny in recent years, most notably for the arrest and alleged torture of protestors following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini.
She was beaten to death by the morality police after she was detained for wearing an "improper" headscarf.
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