Iran Elections; Political Prisoners Die Under Watch of Ibrahim Raisi, Presidential Candidate

Another political prisoner has died in the custody of Iran’s Islamic Republic government, just two weeks before the presidential election in which Iran’s head of the judiciary, Ibrahim Raisi, who bears ultimate responsibility for the care of prisoners, is one of the candidates.

Hadi Qaeemi, director of the Human Rights Campaign in Iran, said: “The death of Sassan Niknesfat in Tehran’s Central Prison demonstrates the mounting human cost that the Islamic Republic’s judiciary imposes on citizens by imprisoning individuals for criticizing the government.”

According to Hadi Qaeemi, “although imprisoned individuals who should never have been in prison in the first place are dying in the country’s prisons and detention centers, Ibrahim Raisi’s sole concern is obtaining the presidential position in pursuit of power.”

Sassan Niknesfat’s death was reported just four months after another political prisoner, Behnam Mahjoubi, died in government custody, despite Iran’s forensic medicine previously determining that he would be unable to tolerate imprisonment.

Since Ibrahim Raisi’s appointment as head of the judiciary in March 2019 by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, at least three political prisoners—Sassan Niknesfat, Alireza Shirmohammadali, and Behnam Mahjoubi—have died in government custody; though this number only includes reported deaths and does not account for the far greater number of deaths from executions or non-political prisoners.

According to a statement from Tehran’s prison organization published by the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) on June 7, Sassan Niknesfat—who had been imprisoned despite suffering from multiple physical and mental health problems—died on June 5 after “losing consciousness” at Firoozabadi Hospital while prison officials were examining him.

Saeid Dehqan, a human rights lawyer, wrote on his Twitter page after news of Sassan Niknesfat’s death: “Sassan Niknesfat’s death due to authorities’ disregard for his inability to tolerate punishment could constitute premeditated murder.”

Saeid Dehqan wrote: “Document: Article 290 of the Criminal Code: If the perpetrator intentionally commits an act that is typically the cause of a crime, even if he does not intend to commit that crime, but is aware and cognizant that such act typically causes a crime; it is premeditated murder.”

According to Article 502 of Iran’s Criminal Procedure Code, if imprisonment worsens the condition of a prisoner suffering from physical or mental illness, the judge can, after obtaining the opinion of forensic medicine, suspend the sentence until the prisoner recovers.

Niknesfat Was Imprisoned Despite Serious Physical Deterioration

Sassan Niknesfat had been serving a five-year prison sentence since November 2019 on charges of “assembly and conspiracy against national security,” “propaganda against the regime,” and “insulting the founder of the Islamic Republic and the leader.” According to the statement from Tehran’s prison organization, judicial authorities sent Niknesfat to prison despite his history of suicide attempts and his need to receive “daily medication” during his detention, as well as the necessity of dozens of medical visits during his arrest.

Ali Sharifzadeh, Niknesfat’s lawyer, told BBC Persian: “They did not inform his family, but sources from inside the prison say they announced it over the prison loudspeakers and offered condolences to the prisoners.”

Political prisoners in Iran are subject to severe mistreatment in particular, which often includes denial of medical care. The United Nations has expressed serious concern about the systematic deprivation of detainees of treatment, which violates United Nations minimum standards and rules for the treatment of prisoners.

Deaths of Dozens of Prisoners Since 2003; Three Cases Since Raisi Headed the Judiciary

Iran’s prison organization and judiciary are primarily responsible for ensuring the life and health of all prisoners. According to research by the Human Rights Campaign in Iran, since 2003, at least 32 political prisoners—all of whom were imprisoned after being accused of criticizing government policies in Iran—have died in government custody.

These deaths occurred due to beatings during detention, deprivation of necessary medical treatment, or other cases of clear negligence or mistreatment by authorities.

The absence of legal prosecution of senior officials for deaths in government detention centers reflects a judicial system that allows intelligence and prison authorities, enjoying immunity, to commit egregious violations of prisoners’ rights; a system that, in the absence of mandatory investigations, autopsy pathways, or public forensic medical reports in case of death in government detention, generally keeps the path unclear.

Meanwhile, there is no effective mechanism for families to lodge complaints.

Concerns Rise Over the Condition of Mohammad Nourizad, Political Prisoner and Others

A significant number of political prisoners, including Mohammad Nourizad, currently require urgent medical attention. According to United Nations human rights experts in a statement dated May 2021, “Furthermore, his continued detention despite medical specialists’ opinion that he cannot remain in prison due to his serious condition, and consequently his deprivation of appropriate health care, amounts to torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment.”

The experts added: “His case exemplifies the situation facing many detained Iranian political activists. He should be released immediately.”

One month after political prisoner Alireza Shirmohammadali was killed in Tehran’s Central Prison in July 2019 following unlawful detention in a section for prisoners convicted of violent crimes, a parliamentary faction announced the submission of a proposal aimed at helping to combat what it called a “serious problem” of prisoner deaths in detention centers—however, to date, no serious measures have been taken to prevent these deaths.

According to Hadi Qaeemi: “This increasing death of political prisoners in Iran is the result of decades of inhumane policies toward government critics; the consequence of the head of the judiciary’s refusal to ensure prisoners’ legal rights or to hold accountable those who mistreat them.”

Hadi Qaeemi says: “Raisi has shown disregard for human life throughout all his positions; from serving on a committee that paved the way for the extrajudicial execution of thousands of political prisoners in 1988 to the increasing deaths of political prisoners who are currently dying due to lack of care and treatment.”

According to Hadi Qaeemi, “This is the situation that political prisoners have had to endure during Raisi’s tenure as head of the judiciary. Now imagine what the Iranian people will see when he sits in the presidential chair.”

Source: Human Rights Campaign in Iran