Concerns Over Detainees’ Conditions Following Death of Prisoner in Evin

Following the death of one of the detainees in Evin prison, concerns about the conditions of recently detained prisoners have increased. A parliamentary representative warned of a “second Kahrizak” incident. The prison director says 22-year-old Sina Qanbari committed suicide in the toilet.

Following the widespread arrest of protesters during recent street demonstrations in Iran, and especially after confirming the death of 22-year-old detainee Sina Qanbari in Evin, public opinion is watching the situation of detainees with concern.

Under these circumstances, Hamid Shahriari, Deputy Head of Iran’s Judiciary, announced on Monday (December 18/January 8) that “rioters, riot leaders, and those who managed and organized the recent riots and disturbances will be dealt with decisively.”

Shahriardi also emphasized that “all individuals who have been at the forefront of recent riots and disturbances have been identified or arrested.”

The Head of the Judiciary, however, simultaneously stated that “not all detainees should be viewed the same way.” Sadegh Amoli Larijani stressed that “in any case, among the detainees there are individuals who had a clear impact on these events and, following enemy guidelines, engaged in some acts such as destruction of public property.”

Yadollah Mouhed, Chief Prosecutor of Kerman Province, also announced the identification and arrest of “the main perpetrators of recent unrest in this province who were also active on social media.” He emphasized that “the end of these riots and destructive acts is not the end of sedition and conspiracy.”

Street protests in Iran began on December 7 in Mashhad and rapidly spread throughout the country. Protesters in over 100 cities, both large and small, chanted slogans against top officials of the Islamic Republic, including the president, the head of the judiciary, and the Supreme Leader. During these protests, at least 21 people were killed and over 1,700 were arrested.

Some of the detainees are those who did not participate in the protests and were arrested at their homes. Iran’s authorities have announced that some of the detainees have been released. However, many of those arrested remain in detention. It is reported that in addition to law enforcement and the Ministry of Intelligence, the Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps was also involved in the recent arrests.

Release of Detainees Without “Security Motivation”

Salman Samani, spokesman for the Ministry of Interior, announced that by order of the Supreme National Security Council, individuals whose participation in protests was not motivated by “security concerns” have been identified and released. He added that the number of students or graduates among the detainees is “very small,” and the number of arrested diploma holders is higher.

Massoumeh Ebtekar, Deputy for Women and Family Affairs to the President, wrote on Twitter that Hassan Rouhani emphasizes the release of arrested students.

During recent protests in Iranian cities, reports emerged of the arrest of at least 90 students. Mahmoud Sadeghi, a reformist parliamentary representative, had previously stated that among 90 arrested students, there is no information about 10 of them, and it is unclear which institution arrested them. It is likely that the “IRGC Intelligence” was responsible for the arrest of these students.

According to Sadeghi, many of the arrested had no role in the protests and were mostly arrested outside university environments or in front of their homes. Parvaneh Salahshouri, a member of the Hope faction in parliament, saw the Ministry of Intelligence behind the scenes of student arrests and said the institution should be held accountable.

Warning About “Second Kahrizak”

Meanwhile, public opinion, and especially the families of detainees, are watching the situation of the arrested with concern. Mahmoud Sadeghi, Tehran’s representative in parliament, while confirming the death of Sina Qanbari, one of the detainees in Evin prison, warned of a “second Kahrizak” incident.

Mohammad Aghazadeh, a veteran journalist whose student son, Soheil Aghazadeh, was arrested at his home in Tehran by security forces a few days ago, wrote on Twitter, referring to news of Sina Qanbari’s death: “This news strikes like a dagger into the hearts of families whose young people are in prison. The Kahrizak incident is disturbing enough. Let me die for this young man and his parents.”

On December 5, after his son’s arrest, Mohammad Aghazadeh wrote on his Twitter account: “They took my son. Until he comes back, I will neither drink water nor eat until death.”

Death of 22-Year-Old in Evin

Tayyebeh Siavoshi and Mahmoud Sadeghi, Tehran’s representatives in the Islamic Consultative Assembly, confirmed on Monday the death of Sina Qanbari in Evin prison. According to these two representatives, Sina Qanbari was arrested by law enforcement. The 22-year-old Tehrani was arrested during recent street protests and transferred to Evin prison.

Tayyebeh Siavoshi told the ILNA news agency that she had “followed up” on the death of Sina Qanbari with the Ministry of Intelligence and law enforcement. According to Siavoshi: “It was announced that this young 22-year-old diploma holder was arrested by law enforcement and handed over to the judicial system.” This parliament member, citing her information source, said that “this person committed suicide in prison.”

According to Kalema website, reporter Mahdi Mahmoudian reported Sina Qanbari’s death on the evening of Sunday, December 17. According to Mahmoudian, Sina Qanbari had been in the quarantine ward of Evin prison for the past few days.

Mahmoud Sadeghi also said: “Unfortunately, the news of Sina Qanbari’s death is accurate, and according to information I obtained from an intelligence source, this person was arrested by law enforcement and, as they said, committed suicide in Evin prison.”

Mostafa Mohseni, Director General of Prisons in Tehran Province, regarding Sina Qanbari’s death, said: “Sina Qanbari, son of Ali Akbar, went to the quarantine toilet and attempted suicide by hanging himself.”

Ali Khamenei, on Tuesday of last week, in a brief statement attributed recent protests to “enemies” who have “allied” to confront the Islamic Republic. The Supreme Leader added that he has “things to say” about recent events that will be said “in due time.” This brief positioning also indicated the direction of the government’s future behavior toward protesters.

Source: DW