The death of Mohammad Mir Moussavi in police custody in Lahijan, northern Iran, has sparked outrage and prompted an investigation by a special delegation from Tehran. The Information Center of Iran’s Law Enforcement Command has released a second announcement regarding the incident, based on the special inspection team’s report.
In a shameless attempt to justify the young man’s death, they cited “lack of control of anger and emotions” by police officers and “disregard for the condition of the accused” as the cause. On Friday, August 30, the police force’s information center audaciously claimed that Mir Moussavi was the source of the conflict, stating that his car was “completely destroyed and burned in the fire.”
However, social media reports suggest that it was the officers themselves who set fire to the young man’s vehicle. The brutality inflicted upon Mir Moussavi is evident in the disturbing footage circulating on social networks, showing his tortured body. Yet, the regime’s police force brazenly dismisses this as mere “excitement” and “lack of control of anger and emotions” on the part of some employees.
In the twisted logic of the Iranian regime, the mutilated body of a young man, bound and in captivity, is simply the result of officers’ emotional outbursts and negligence. Despite pressuring Mir Moussavi’s family to remain silent, the police information center hypocritically claims that “defending his rights is the religious and moral duty of the police”.
On September 8, videos of Mir Moussavi’s funeral and body washing revealed wounds and marks consistent with severe torture and beatings. A witness in the video points out “holes” on Mohammad Mirmusavi’s back, indicating the extent of his injuries. While autopsy results are visible on Mir Moussavi’s chest in one of the published photos, no official forensic report has been released.
A source close to the family reports they are under intense pressure to withhold details of his death, but the evidence suggests his hands were bound for hours. Local sources familiar with the Lahijan police station claim that officers took Mir Moussavi to an area without CCTV cameras and severely beat him.
Throughout the night, he reportedly requested medical attention, but his pleas were callously ignored. This tragic incident serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing human rights abuses within Iran’s law enforcement system, echoing the circumstances surrounding Mahsa Amini’s death in 2022 and highlighting the urgent need for accountability.
