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The brother of Iranian physician Hamid Qarahasanlou says interrogators severly tortured his brother’s spouse to extract a confession from her towards her husband as safety forces regarded to pin the blame on protesters for the dying of a member of the Basij paramilitary drive throughout nationwide demonstrations.
Iran’s judiciary stated on December 6 that it had sentenced 16 folks to sentences starting from long-term imprisonment to dying for his or her alleged roles within the killing of Ruhollah Ajamian, who was a part of the Basij, a volunteer militia beneath the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).
Hamid Qarahasanlou, who’s in hospital recovering after reportedly being tortured as effectively, was one in every of 5 accused to be handed dying sentences over the killing of Ajamian.
Qarahasanlu’s brother stated in an interview with RFERL’s Radio Farda that, in the course of the interrogations, Farzaneh, Hamid’s spouse, was tortured to the purpose the place to avoid wasting herself, she lied and stated that her husband could have kicked the sufferer.
“She resisted the primary day. On the second day, they advised her that we all know your son is within the dormitory of Tabriz College, and for those who do not confess by tonight that Hamid hit the sufferer, we are going to arrest your son and he’ll endure the identical torture that you’re struggling, and he could also be killed,” Farzaneh Qarahasanlou’s brother in legislation advised Radio Farda.
“That is the one proof they’ve towards Hamid, and Farzaneh later recanted the assertion and advised the courtroom that her confession was obtained beneath torture and has no validity,” he added.
Hassan Qarahasanlou additionally advised Radio Farda that the judicial authorities threatened their attorneys and at last, upon the withdrawal of the attorneys, they compelled them to simply accept a public defender.
“The general public defender spoke towards my brother in courtroom. He advised Hamid that you’re mendacity, and that you simply hit Ajamian and weren’t tortured.”
In line with Qarahasanlou’s brother, the general public defender personally went to the hospital the place Hamid was admitted and with out taking into consideration medical opinions, decided that Hamid Qarahasanlou was able to showing in courtroom.
“The forensic physician had stated that Hamid couldn’t be current within the courtroom, that he couldn’t also have a video name. That’s why he was absent from the primary session of the trial, however nonetheless, they took him to the courtroom for the second session,” Hassan Qarahasanlou stated.
Prosecutors stated Ajamian, 27, was stripped bare and killed by a gaggle of mourners who had been paying tribute to a slain protester, Hadis Najafi, throughout ceremonies marking the fortieth day since her dying.
The 4 others sentenced to dying weren’t named. Of the 11 folks sentenced within the case, three have been minors, judiciary spokesman Massud Setayeshi advised a information convention, including that the sentences will be appealed.
Hamid Qarahasanlou, who’s a radiologist, was significantly injured in the course of the arrest and interrogation.
In line with his brother, one in every of Hamid’s ribs was damaged throughout detention and 5 extra throughout interrogation. Lastly, these fractures resulted in inner bleeding and he was taken to hospital.
After Qarahasanlou regained consciousness following surgical procedure, judicial authorities got here to the hospital in the course of the evening to wake him and hand him the dying sentence, Hassan Qarahasanlou stated.
The circumstances have been rushed via three hearings inside six days earlier than the sentences have been handed down.
Human rights organizations have strongly objected to the dying sentences being issued towards protesters in Iran after “sham trials.”
The decision comes after weeks of elevated threats by authorities that they may react harshly to any unrest. Lawmakers have pushed the judiciary to render harsh penalties — together with the dying penalty — in trials for these arrested throughout protests over the dying of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini.
The Mizan information company, which is affiliated with the judiciary, reported on December 8 that 24-year-old Mohsen Shekhari had develop into the primary protester to be executed after an attraction of his sentence was rejected by the Supreme Courtroom.
Iran is at present within the throes of unrest as folks take to the streets throughout the nation to protest Amini’s dying on September 16.
Police have met the unrest with lethal drive.
The activist HRANA information company stated that, as of November 29, at the least 459 protesters had been killed in the course of the unrest, together with 64 minors, as safety forces attempt to stifle widespread dissent.
The Oslo-based Iran Human Rights Group says the variety of executions in Iran exceeds 500 this yr.
Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based mostly on an authentic story in Persian by RFE/RL’s Radio Farda
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