Final Court Session Held in Ekbatan District Case
The final court session and defense of defendants in the case known as “Ekbatan District” was held today, Saturday.
According to a report by Iran’s Human Rights Organization, today, Saturday, November 3rd, the final court session for the defense of defendants in the case known as Ekbatan District was held in Branch 13 of Criminal Court One of Tehran Province. In this session, the accused youth were required to present their final defense against charges of murder and intentional assault and battery.
Following the nationwide protests that began in 1402 (2023-2024), at the end of Bahman month of the same year, news of charges of “moharebeh” (enmity against God) against 4 detainees in the case known as Ekbatan District spread rapidly. These charges were not only extremely serious and dangerous for them but could have resulted in heavy death sentences.
After a Basij militiaman was killed during the nationwide protests in November 1401 (2022-2023), security forces raided Ekbatan District and arrested at least 50 protesting youth, with indictments issued against 14 of them. The spokesperson for the Judiciary also described the charges against these detainees, whose case became known as the Ekbatan District case, as participation in murder, unlawful assembly, and conspiracy against national security.
The case of individuals named Milad Armoon, Alireza Kafaei, Seyyed Mohammad Mahdi Hosseini, Mehdi Imani, Amir Mohammad Khosh Aqbal, Navid Nejaran, Alireza Barmarzpournac, and Hossein Nemati, who are known as defendants in the Ekbatan District case, was referred from Branch 4 of the Investigation Department of the Criminal Affairs Prosecution Office of Region 27 Tehran to Branch 13 of Criminal Court after approximately 2 years from their arrest.
In Ordibehesht month of the current year, these prisoners were transferred from Qazlhassar Prison in Karaj to the IRGC Intelligence Security Ward after the judge returned the case to the prosecution office announcing a rejection of the judicial investigation. Subsequently, 4 other defendants in this case were also transferred to the IRGC Intelligence Security Ward, where they were interrogated without the presence of their chosen lawyers and outside judicial procedures. Additionally, they were deprived of visits and phone contact with their families.
In mid-Shahrivar month of the current year, the case of 4 defendants in this case was again referred from the Criminal Affairs Prosecution Office of Region 27 Tehran to court, with the competent authority being Branch 13 of Criminal Court One of Tehran and Branch 15 of the Revolution Court of Tehran under the presidency of Judge Selavati.
Finally, today, Saturday, November 3rd, the final defense session of eight defendants in this case was held. During this session, Milad Armoon, Alireza Kafaei, Amir Mohammad Khosh Aqbal, Alireza Barmarz Pournac, Seyyed Mohammad Mahdi Hosseini, Hossein Nemati, Mehdi Imani, and Navid Nejaran, along with their lawyers, presented their final defense statements regarding charges of “participation in murder and intentional assault and battery.”
