Death penalty for two accused of killing political detainees

Mohsen Ruholamini, Mohammad Kamrani, Amir Javadifar

Iran’s judicial branch of the armed forces announced today that two of the Kahrizak Detention Centre guards accused of “intentional beating causing death” were sentenced to death.

Iran news agencies report that the other nine people charged in this case were sentenced to “imprisonment, paying of blood-money, monetary fine, suspension from work and lashes” and one was acquitted.

The people charged in the case have not been identified and the court sentences can still be appealed.

Last year at least three people arrested in the post-election protests were killed after being subjected to beatings at Kahrizak Dentention Centre.

Amir Javadifar, Mohsen Ruholamini and Mohammad Kamrani are the three detainees who were confirmed by the authorities to have died from injuries sustained while in detention.

Kahrizak Detention Centre was closed down in the post-election protests by the order of the Supreme Leader after news of torture and abuse of detainees leaked to the press.

Tehran’s Prosecutor at the time, Saeed Mortazavi has first alleged that the prisoners had died from meningitis.

However, following public pressure state investigations confirmed the use of torture in Kahrizak but Saeed Mortaavi is not one of the twelve people who have been charged with torture and abuse at Kahrizak.

Ramin PourAndarjani, a physician who had examined the tortured detainees who later died, also passed away mysteriously last November.

Tehran Prosecutor, Abbas Jafari Dowlatabadi announced that the death of the said physician was caused by drug poisoning, and the investigations to determine “whether the incident was suicide or murder” are still in progress.