Human Rights Watch calls for urgent investigation into Iranian judicial authorities' role in Alireza Shirmohammadali's murder
Human Rights Watch is calling for an immediate investigation at the highest level of Iranian judicial authorities to determine the role of lack of oversight or official negligence in the “disaster” of the murder of political prisoner Alireza Shirmohammad Ali in Fashafoyeh Prison.
Tara Sepehrifar, a researcher at Human Rights Watch, told Voice of America's Persian service: "It is catastrophic that a 21-year-old young man would be imprisoned on false charges and lose his life in prison."
Emphasizing that ensuring the health and respect for the rights of prisoners is one of the duties of prison officials, he added: "It appears that Iranian authorities are using the detention of political prisoners alongside prisoners accused of violent crimes as a tactic to increase pressure on political prisoners."
Alireza Shirmohammad Ali, a political prisoner in Tehran's Fashafoyeh Prison, was stabbed to death by two inmates on Monday evening, June 10.
Mohammad Hadi Erfanian Kasab, Alireza Shir Mohammad Ali's lawyer, confirmed the news in an interview with Voice of America, stating that the attack was carried out by two murder suspects who apparently had no problems with Alireza Shir Mohammad Ali.
According to this basic lawyer, Fashafoyeh Prison does not have proper conditions for a judiciary, and the presence of political prisoners such as Alireza Shirmohammad Ali and Dervish Gonabadi alongside prisoners for ordinary crimes is a cause for concern.
Alireza Shir Mohammad Ali was sentenced to 8 years in prison in July 2018 on charges of "propaganda against the regime, insulting sacred places, insulting the founder of the Islamic Republic, and insulting the leadership." The prisoner's appeal trial was scheduled to be held on July 8 of this year.
Source: Voice of America
