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
Australia tells families of diplomats to leave Israel, Lebanon
- The government has also offered voluntary departures to Australian diplomats’ dependants in the UAE, Jordan and Qatar
- The Australian government continues to advise citizens in Israel and Lebanon to consider leaving
JERUSALEM: The Australian government has told dependants of Australian diplomats in Israel and Lebanon to leave the two Middle East countries, citing a deteriorating security situation in the region, the foreign ministry said on Wednesday.
The government has also offered voluntary departures to Australian diplomats’ dependants in the United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Qatar, it said on an official ministry X account.
US President Donald Trump laid out his case for a possible attack on Iran in his State of the Union speech to Congress on Tuesday, saying he would not allow the world’s biggest sponsor of terrorism to have a nuclear weapon.
Iran and the United States resumed negotiations earlier this month as Washington builds up military capability in the Middle East. Iran has threatened to strike US bases in the region if it is attacked, but Tehran’s top diplomat said on Tuesday that a deal with the US was “within reach” if diplomacy is prioritized.
The Australian government continues to advise citizens in Israel and Lebanon to consider leaving while commercial options are still available, the foreign ministry said.
The announcements were made in a series of posts on the foreign ministry’s Smartraveler X account.
