Concerns over the condition of detainees following the death of a detainee in Evin

Concerns have been raised about the situation of recent detainees following the death of a detainee in Evin. A member of parliament warned of a “second Kahrizak.” The director general of prisons says that 22-year-old Sina Ghanbari committed suicide in the bathroom.

Following the widespread arrests of protesters during the recent street protests in Iran, and especially after the confirmation of the death of Sina Ghanbari, a 22-year-old detainee, in Evin, public opinion is looking with concern at the situation of the detainees.

In such circumstances, Hamid Shahriari, Deputy Head of Iran's Judiciary, announced on Monday (January 8) that "the rioters, the leaders of the riots, and those who have managed and organized the chaos and unrest of recent days will be dealt with decisively."

Shahriari also emphasized that "all the people who were behind the recent riots and unrest have been identified or arrested."

The head of the judiciary, however, said at the same time that “one should not look at all those arrested with the same eyes.” Sadegh Amoli Larijani also emphasized that “in any case, among the arrested are people who had a clear influence on these incidents and, taking the enemy’s side, have taken certain actions, such as destroying public property.”

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

Street protests in Iran began on January 27 in Mashhad and quickly spread across the country. Demonstrators in more than 100 cities and towns in Iran chanted slogans against top officials of the Islamic Republic, including the president, the head of the judiciary, and the Supreme Leader. At least 21 people have been killed and more than 1,700 arrested during the protests.

Some of those arrested were not involved in the protests and were arrested in their homes. Iranian authorities have announced that a number of those arrested have been released in the meantime. However, a large number of those arrested are still in detention. It is said that in addition to the police and the Ministry of Intelligence, the Revolutionary Guards Intelligence Organization has also been involved in the recent arrests.

Release of detainees without “security motive”

Salman Samani, a spokesman for the Ministry of Interior, announced that, on the orders of the Supreme National Security Council, individuals whose participation in the protests was not “security-motivated” have been identified and released. He added that the number of students or graduates among those detained is “very small,” and the number of those detained with diplomas is higher.

Masoumeh Ebtekar, the vice president for women and family affairs, wrote on Twitter that Hassan Rouhani emphasizes the release of the detained students.

During the recent protests in Iranian cities, there were reports of the arrest of at least 90 students. Mahmoud Sadeghi, a reformist member of parliament, had previously said that of the 90 students arrested, no information was available on the status of 10 of them, and it was not clear which agency had arrested them. It is believed that the IRGC Intelligence Service was responsible for the arrests.

According to Sadeghi, a large number of those arrested had no role in the protests and most of them were arrested outside university premises or in front of their homes. Parvaneh Salahshouri, a member of the Omid parliamentary faction, has seen the Ministry of Intelligence behind the student arrests and said that this institution must be held accountable.

Warning about “Kahrizak II”

Meanwhile, public opinion, especially family members of the detainees, is following the situation of the detainees with concern. Mahmoud Sadeghi, a representative of Tehran in the parliament, confirmed the news of the death of Sina Ghanbari, one of the detainees in Evin Prison, and warned of a "second Kahrizak".

Mohammad Aghazadeh, a veteran journalist whose student son, Soheil Aghazadeh, was arrested by security agents at his home in Tehran a few days ago, wrote on Twitter, referring to the news of Sina Ghanbari's death: "This news hits like a dagger in the hearts of families whose young people are in prison. The Kahrizak incident is heartbreaking enough. I would die for this young man and his parents."

On January 4, after his son was arrested, Mohammad Aghazadeh wrote on his Twitter account: "They took my son. Until he returns, I will not drink water or eat until I die."

Death of a 22-year-old man in Evin

Tayyeb Siavashi and Mahmoud Sadeghi, Tehran representatives in the Islamic Consultative Assembly, confirmed on Monday the death of Sina Ghanbari in Evin Prison. According to the two representatives, Sina Ghanbari was arrested by the police. The 22-year-old from Tehran was arrested during recent street protests and transferred to Evin Prison.

Tayyaba Siavoshi told the ILNA news agency that she had “followed up” on the death of Sina Ghanbari with the Ministry of Intelligence and the police. According to Ms. Siavoshi, “It was announced that this young man, 22, had a diploma and was arrested by the police and handed over to the judicial system.” Citing her source, the MP said that “this person committed suicide in prison.”

According to the Kaleme website, journalist Mehdi Mahmoudian reported the death of Sina Ghanbari on Sunday evening, January 8. According to Mahmoudian, Sina Ghanbari had been detained in the quarantine ward of Evin Prison for several days.

Mahmoud Sadeghi also said: "Unfortunately, the news of Sina Ghanbari's death is true, and according to information I received from an intelligence source, this person was arrested by the police and, as they said, attempted suicide in Evin Prison."

Mustafa Mohebi, the director general of Tehran province's prisons, said about Sina Ghanbari's death: "Sina Ghanbari, the son of Ali Akbar, attempted suicide by hanging himself after visiting the prison's quarantine bathroom."

In a brief speech last Tuesday, Ali Khamenei attributed the recent protests to “enemies” who have “colluded” to confront the Islamic Republic. The leader of the Islamic Republic added that he had “words” about the recent events that he would say “at the right time.” This brief statement also indicated the direction of the government’s future treatment of the protesters.

Source: DW