Amnesty International Warning About Ali Younesi: A Student at Risk of Torture

Amnesty International has expressed concern in an appeal regarding the torture of Ali Younesi. The human rights organization has called for the release of Ali Younesi and all prisoners who have been detained unlawfully and arbitrarily in Iran.

Amnesty International issued an appeal on Thursday, May 14, under the title “A Student at Risk of Torture,” expressing concern about the situation of Ali Younesi, a Sharif University student and a medal winner of scientific olympiads, and calling for his release.

According to the human rights organization, Ali Younesi, who has been in arbitrary detention since April 12, 2020, is now at risk of torture to force him to “confess” to crimes he did not commit. According to Amnesty International, the 20-year-old student was arrested without a legal warrant, and the authorities and security officials have provided no clear reasons for his arrest.

Ali Younesi and another student arrested on the same day have been accused of having connections with “counter-revolutionary” groups and the People’s Mujahedin Organization and possessing “explosive materials” in their homes, but the authorities have provided no evidence for the accusations they have made and are now hoping to obtain this “evidence” through torture and other forms of pressure.

According to Amnesty International’s report, on the evening of April 12, 12 security officers in plainclothes arrested Ali Younesi, who was coming from university, and brought him handcuffed to his home in Tehran in a condition where his forehead was cut and blood covered his entire face, with bloody injuries in other parts of his body as well.

Security officers searched Ali Younesi’s residence, transferred his parents to an unknown location for interrogation, and released them after several hours. The security officers did not identify themselves and did not present an arrest warrant or a search warrant.

According to Amnesty International, whether Ali Younesi was tortured on the day of his arrest should be investigated by an independent authority, and those responsible for this action should be subjected to fair trial in accordance with international standards.

Since Ali Younesi’s arrest, he has only been allowed two brief telephone calls with his family, and he has been denied the ability to choose a lawyer.

Accusation of “Counter-Revolutionary” Activity

One of the prosecutors informed Ali Younesi’s family that their son has been accused of “attempted sabotage,” but no further explanation was provided to them.

Gholamhossein Esmaili, the spokesperson for the Judiciary, also stated on May 5, apparently referring to Ali Younesi and another arrested student, that the two students’ charges relate to connections with “counter-revolutionary” groups.

Amnesty International criticizes the Islamic Republic’s security officials for creating cases against some individuals solely because of “their family relations with members of opposition groups.”

The human rights organization has called on civil society associations and institutions to work for the unconditional release of Ali Younesi.

According to Amnesty International, political prisoners should have access to necessary medical care and should be able to communicate with their families and their chosen lawyers.

Source: DW