Seventeen Days After Father’s Suicide; Officials Oppose Amirhosein Muradi’s Presence at Family Mourning Ceremony
Amirhosein Muradi, one of three protesters sentenced to death during the November 2019 protests, remains deprived of supervised escort to attend his family’s mourning ceremony despite seventeen days having passed since his father’s suicide. Yesterday, following the Muradi family’s referral to the judiciary, they were told that until the Supreme Court issues a ruling on this political prisoner’s case, there is no possibility for his presence at the ceremony, and only if his death sentence is overturned by the Supreme Court can he attend his father’s mourning.
This comes as Mr. Muradi, due to obstruction by officials at Tehran Central Prison and the prosecutor’s office, missed his father’s burial ceremony and continues to seek ways to be present at his family’s mourning alongside them.
According to Hrana news agency, the news organ of the Iranian Human Rights Activists Movement, Amirhosein Muradi, one of three protesters sentenced to death during the November 2019 protests, remains deprived of a short-term presence with his family despite the loss of his father.
Following yesterday’s referral by the Muradi family to the judiciary to follow up on officials’ promise to send Amirhosein Muradi under escort to participate in his father’s mourning ceremony with his family, the deputy prosecutor told them that until the Supreme Court issues a ruling on this political prisoner’s case, there is no possibility for his presence at the ceremony, and only if his death sentence is overturned by the Supreme Court can he attend his father’s mourning.
Earlier, a source close to the Muradi family told Hrana: “Amin Vaziri, the official overseeing political prisoners, had deferred approval of his leave to the prosecutor’s opinion. In recent days, when the Muradi family’s relatives approached the prosecutor’s office, they were told it depends on the prosecutor’s opinion and they should speak with him. Finally, they were told that Amirhosein Muradi is supposed to attend the family ceremony and at his father’s burial site in Behesht-e Zahra, but due to security issues, they will not inform him and his family of the time in advance. It appears that prison officials are using this method to prolong the process and ultimately prevent Muradi’s supervised escort by officers.”
Nasser Muradi, Amirhosein Muradi’s father, committed suicide on Monday, September 28, 2020, at his home. Mr. Muradi’s body was buried on Thursday morning, October 1, 2020. At this ceremony, dozens of family members and close friends of the Muradi family and the families of Saeid Tamjidi and Mohammad Rajabi, Amirhosein Muradi’s co-defendants, were present. However, judicial authorities did not allow Amirhosein Muradi to participate in his father’s burial ceremony.
On Wednesday, October 7, a memorial service for Nasser Muradi was also held at their home; nevertheless, this political prisoner was unable to be present at this mourning ceremony with his family.
On June 25, 2020, Hrana news agency reported on the confirmation of the death sentences of Amirhosein Muradi, Saeid Tamjidi, and Mohammad Rajabi, three citizens arrested during the 2019 nationwide protests known as the “November Protests,” by the Supreme Court. Finally, on July 19, 2020, the lawyers of Amirhosein Muradi, Saeid Tamjidi, and Mohammad Rajabi, issued a joint statement announcing that the request to apply Article 477 by the head of the Supreme Court had been accepted and the case of these three protesters sentenced to death in the November protests was referred to one of the Court’s branches for reconsideration. In part of this statement, these four lawyers wrote: “Currently, the execution of our clients’ sentences is suspended pending final judicial determination in this case, and since one of the judges of the Supreme Court in the reviewing branch was previously opposed to the issued ruling, we hope the previous verdict will be overturned.”
Hrana previously, through multiple interviews with informed sources and document review, provided details and analysis of what these individuals experienced through various processes from activity to conviction.
Source: Hrana
