Complaint Filed Against the Head and Nurse of Nowshahr Prison for 'Murder' of Javad Rouhi

Javad Rouhi's lawyer announced the formation of a case against the head and nurse of Nowshahr prison for the 'murder' of his client, stating that the forensic report on Rouhi's death indicated 'drug interactions due to repeated injections by the nurse in the prison's medical facility hours before his death.' Majid Kaveh stated that following the receipt of the medical report regarding the cause of his client's death in prison, a case has now been filed against the head and nurse of Nowshahr prison for 'murder' and referred to the prosecutor's office. On September 1 of this year, one day after the confirmation of Javad Rouhi's death in the prison's medical facility, political and legal activists explicitly spoke of his murder and called for investigations into the details of his death. In contrast, local officials in Nowshahr attempted to justify his death, citing 'addiction' and his medical history. The Iran Human Rights Organization reported on Saturday, September 2, citing an informed source, that while the cause of Javad Rouhi's death was listed as 'cardiac arrest' in the forensic report, officials from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps verbally stated that the cause of death for this imprisoned protester was a 'stroke.' Javad Rouhi had been in temporary detention in Nowshahr prison since September 21, 2022, in connection with protests in the second half of 2022 in Mazandaran. He was sentenced to death three times, but this sentence was later overturned by the Supreme Court. However, in mid-August, his lawyer stated that this case had been 'stuck in a strange administrative loop.' A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department expressed horror over Javad Rouhi's death in the Islamic Republic's prison, stating to Voice of America: 'We are horrified by the death of Javad Rouhi and reports of his torture.' This spokesperson, in a written response to Voice of America, emphasized that the 'heartbreaking reports' of Rouhi's neglect and torture during detention underscored his death as the latest example of the Islamic Republic's efforts to 'instill fear' among the Iranian people and 'suppress any dissent.' In response to Rouhi's 'suspicious death' in prison, Amnesty International issued a statement calling for an 'investigation and inquiry' and conducting 'independent investigations' into the cause of this political prisoner's death. In a statement on September 29, 2023, Amnesty International accused Iranian officials of subjecting Javad Rouhi to a series of 'international crimes,' including 'enforced disappearance,' 'solitary confinement,' and 'torture,' to force him into 'coerced confession.' Shiva Mahbubi stated: 'The torture of Javad Rouhi and other political prisoners is a silent and deliberate murder by the government.' The severe physical and psychological torture of Javad Rouhi in prison has been revealed through the handwritten notes of this protester. The family of Javad Rouhi has requested assistance from Bahareh Hedayat, expressing concerns about the situation of 13 prisoners in Qezel Hesar. A memorial ceremony was held at the grave of Javad Rouhi, a protester who died in prison. Javad Rouhi's brother stated at his grave: 'I remain silent for my mother.' An annual report indicated that 659 people were 'hanged' in Iran, with 'thousands' awaiting execution. Handwritten notes from Javad Rouhi, who recently passed away, detailing his abuse and torture have been published.