DUBAI: Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered an investigation into the death in custody of a defendant in the northern city of Lahijan, state media reported on Thursday.
“Following the tragic incident in Lahijan, the president ordered the interior minister to form a committee to investigate all aspects of this incident and report its results to the cabinet as soon as possible,” the head of government public relations Elias Hazrati said.
Five policemen were arrested by the judiciary in relation to the case, according to the judiciary’s Mizan news agency, which did not reveal the deceased’s name, the charges he was facing, or the date on which he died.
“Following the violation of a citizen’s rights, necessary follow-ups were carried out and defendants related to the case were imprisoned based on a temporary arrest warrant,” Lahijan’s prosecutor, Ebrahim Ansari, said according to Mizan.
Ansari added that forensic pathologists carried out follow-ups to determine the cause of death of the accused, without providing additional information.
Iranian activist rights group Hengaw reported that the deceased, who it identified as 36-year-old Mohammad Mirmousavi, was arrested on Aug. 24 following an altercation and tortured to death on the same day.
Hengaw said this was the seventh case of a death in custody since the start of the year. Reuters could not verify this allegation.
A blurred video was circulated on social media showing the lacerated back of a topless man. Reuters could not verify the authenticity of the video.
The respect of citizens’ rights, including women and minorities, was one of the electoral promises of the relatively moderate Pezeshkian, who won the presidency in July.
In 2022, the death in custody of young Kurdish-Iranian woman Mahsa Amini, who was arrested for flouting Iran’s strict hijab laws, sparked months of nationwide protests in what became a major challenge to the Islamic Republic.
Iran’s president calls for investigation into case of death in custody
https://arab.news/v3e69
Iran’s president calls for investigation into case of death in custody
- Forensic pathologists carried out follow-ups to determine the cause of death of the accused
- Deceased was arrested on Aug. 24 following an altercation and tortured to death on the same day – rights group
Saudi delegation visits Yemen’s Hadramaut, calls for STC withdrawal
- Saudi officials and local authorities reached a preliminary arrangement to keep the PetroMasila oil facilities operating without disruption
- The delegation urged for measures to prevent Hadramaut from being drawn into renewed conflict
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia called for the withdrawal of Southern Transitional Council (STC) forces from Hadramaut and Al-Mahra, as a high-level delegation visiting the region on Tuesday announced a new arrangement to secure uninterrupted oil production in the PetroMasila fields.
Major General Mohammed Al-Qahtani, heading the Saudi delegation, said the Kingdom remains committed to de-escalation in Hadramaut and to preventing the governorate from being drawn into a new cycle of conflict.
He said that restoring the previous security setup is essential to safeguarding stability, Yemen's state news agency SABA reported.
Qahtani announced that Saudi officials, local authorities and the Hadhramaut Tribal Alliance had reached a preliminary agreement to keep PetroMasila facilities neutral and operational.
Under the deal, the forces currently controlling the oil fields will withdraw and be replaced by Hadrami units operating under the direct supervision of the governorate’s local authority.
The move aims to protect oil infrastructure from political tensions and ensure that production continues without disruption.
The Saudi delegation arrived in the Wadi and Desert districts of Hadramaut after holding earlier meetings in Mukalla and other coastal areas.
They were received by Governor Salem Al-Khanbashi, deputy governors, tribal sheikhs and other prominent figures from across the region.
“Hadramaut is a foundation of stability, not an arena for conflict,” Al-Qahtani said, emphasizing that the governorate’s affairs must be managed by qualified local institutions operating within the official state framework.
He added that the delegation’s visit yielded a broader set of measures aimed at reinforcing security, stability, and de-escalation with all parties, including the STC. Al-Qahtani also reiterated that the Southern issue remains central to any future political settlement.
The visit comes amid heightened tensions in southern Yemen. A Yemeni government official said the country’s airspace was briefly closed on Monday after STC forces moved to seize control of an oil-rich area in Hadramaut, a development that reflects widening fractures within the anti-Houthi coalition.
