Human Rights Watch Calls for Immediate Investigation into Role of Iranian Judiciary Officials in Alireza Shirmohammadali’s Death

Human Rights Watch is calling for an immediate investigation at the highest levels of Iran’s judiciary to determine the role that lack of oversight or negligence by authorities played in the “tragedy” of the death of Alireza Shirmohammadali, a political prisoner at Fashafuyeh Prison.

Tara Sepahri Far, a researcher at Human Rights Watch, told the Persian Service of Voice of America: It is tragic that a 21-year-old young man is imprisoned on baseless charges and loses his life in prison.

Emphasizing that ensuring the safety and protection of prisoners’ rights is the responsibility of prison authorities, she added: It appears that Iranian authorities use the placement of political prisoners alongside prisoners accused of violent crimes as a tactic to increase pressure on political prisoners.

Alireza Shirmohammadali, a political prisoner at Tehran’s Fashafuyeh Prison, was attacked with knives by two inmates on Monday evening, June 20th, and died.

Mohammad Hadi Erfanian Kasb, Alireza Shirmohammadali’s lawyer, told Voice of America that the attack was carried out by two individuals accused of murder, who apparently had no issue with Alireza Shirmohammadali.

According to this first-degree lawyer, Fashafuyeh Prison lacks adequate conditions and the presence of political prisoners such as Alireza Shirmohammadali and Gonabadi Dervishes alongside ordinary crime prisoners is a cause for concern.

Alireza Shirmohammadali was sentenced to 8 years in prison in July 2018 on charges of “propaganda against the system, insulting sacred values, insulting the founder of the Islamic Republic, and insulting the Supreme Leader,” and his retrial was scheduled to take place on July 18th of this year.

Source: Voice of America