Iranian security forces reportedly tortured and killed Mohammad Mirmousavi, a detainee from the Lahijan province, on August 22, 2024, according to a report released by Human Rights Watch (HRW).

Mirmousavi was reportedly apprehended for his alleged involvement in a street brawl.

On August 29, President Masoud Pezeshkian ordered the Minister of the Interior to quickly form a delegation to travel to Lahijan to investigate the circumstances surrounding Mirmousavi’s death.

In addition, Ahmad-Reza Radan, the Commander-in-Chief of Iran’s law enforcement agencies, dismissed Lahijan’s police chief for failing to properly supervise his subordinates.

For many years, Human Rights Watch and other organizations have documented cases of torture and death in custody in Iran.

“Mohammad Mirmousavi’s alleged death by torture presents President Pezeshkian with a crucial choice: continue to tolerate the blatant impunity of the security forces, or conduct a credible investigation and hold them accountable for their actions,” said Michael Page, deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa at HRW

From Mahsa Jina Amini to Mohammad Mirmousavi, Iran has fostered an entrenched pattern of torture of detainees — a failing system that the new president must reform.

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