31 Protesters Killed in Demonstrations and Detention Centers; Over 3,700 Arrested
The number of detainees from recent protests who have lost their lives in prison has reached at least 4. Nasrin Sotoudeh, a human rights lawyer, citing prisoners, announced that in addition to Sina Qanbari, whose prison officials claimed died by “suicide” yesterday (December 9), two other detainees have also lost their lives in Evin Prison in Tehran.
News of Sina Qanbari’s death and his detention during the protests was announced yesterday (December 9) by Mahmoud Sadeghi, a member of the Iranian parliament, citing Evin Prison officials. However, the Mashragh News website, citing sources connected to security forces and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, claimed that Sina Qanbari “was never a student and his education is only high school diploma, and according to information received, his detention was not related to recent events, and according to some news sources, he was arrested by law enforcement due to carrying drugs and handed over to the judicial system.”
Vahid Heidari also died in Arak Prison following “suicide.” Prison officials and the Arak prosecutor claimed he had been arrested for carrying 10 grams of heroin. According to France’s international radio, according to Mohammad Najafi, a lawyer in Arak, Vahid Heidari was killed as a result of severe blows, and those responsible are trying to strip him of his dignity by accusing him of addiction and drug possession. He emphasized that Vahid Heidari’s family is under severe pressure from security officials. According to Ali Bagheri, a civil activist from Arak, one of Vahid Heidari’s relatives who saw his body said they observed a deep and swollen wound on the left side of his head. He said Vahid Heidari was killed in prison and his family was prevented from giving any interviews to the media. Vahid Heidari’s funeral was held under strict security measures. Vahid Heidari’s uncle also said they quickly buried his nephew’s body on the sixteenth of December at a location designated by security officials in Behesht Zahra Cemetery in Arak.
Apparently, officials intend to repeat the claims of “suicide” and drug possession for all detainees who died in prison and grave human rights violations.
Reports have also been published about the death of Mohsen Adeli — a Bakhtiari resident of Dezful — in Dezful Prison. However, according other reports, he was killed as a result of being shot in the head with a Kalashnikov rifle during protests on December 9 in Dezful and was buried in this city on December 15. A video of his funeral was circulated on social media. His family was unaware of their son’s fate for three days, as security forces, after killing him, transferred his body to a morgue in Ahvaz.
Until yesterday, official bodies and authorities had reported the deaths of 27 people (including Sina Qanbari). With the death of four others as described above, the total number of deaths reaches 31.
The fate of some detainees remains unknown. Ashkan Abservaran informed his family by phone on December 14 of his arrest, but Evin Prison officials told his family that he is missing. Additionally, there is no news of another detainee named Sepideh Farhan (Farahabad). Prison officials have also told several other families of detainees that their children are missing, although they had previously announced their arrest.
Mahmoud Sadeghi, a member of the Iranian parliament, announced today, December 19 (January 9), that various law enforcement and security agencies arrested approximately 3,700 people in different parts of the country during recent protests. According to some unofficial reports, more than 1,000 demonstrators in Ahvaz and its surrounding cities, including 400 women in Izeh, have been arrested. According to the representative of Izeh in parliament, “individuals arrested in gatherings are generally teenagers and young people between 16 and 24 years old.”
Civil Rights Association in Iran (member of the International Federation of Human Rights)
Source: FIDH
