Family Member of Victims: One of the Accused in the 'Ekbatān Children' Case Was Tortured for 40 Days for Forced Confession

A family member of the victims of the nationwide protests of 2022 has revealed new details about the 'torture' of some defendants in the case known as the 'Ekbatān Children.' According to Foad Chobin, the uncle of Artin Rahmani, a protester killed during the 2022 protests, Navid Najaran was 'under physical and psychological torture for about 40 days in the IRGC intelligence detention center to force him to confess.' On Sunday, June 3, Chobin expressed concern over the transfer of four political prisoners related to the 'Ekbatān Children' case to the IRGC intelligence detention center. He wrote on social media that he became acquainted with Navid Najaran, one of these four prisoners, last year in the quarantine section of Sheiban Prison in Ahvaz, and according to Navid, 'he was subjected to physical and psychological torture in the IRGC intelligence detention center to force him to confess.' Chobin described the news of the transfer of Navid Najaran, Mehdi Imani, Milad Armon, and Mohammad Mehdi Hosseini, political prisoners related to the 'Ekbatān Children' case, as 'very concerning.' He emphasized that Navid Najaran was forced into 'confession under torture' and was severely beaten, stating that 'when he was transferred to Sheiban Prison in Ahvaz, he was unable to speak for several days.' According to this former political prisoner, Navid Najaran was also 'deprived of the right to access a lawyer for several months' while in Sheiban Prison. Foad Chobin asserted that the charges against these four political prisoners 'have no legal basis or evidence,' stressing that 'the Islamic Republic wants to accuse the defendants in the 'Ekbatān Children' case of a crime they never committed through torture and forced confessions, without any documentation.' Additionally, the legal advisory group 'Dadban' has warned about the 'alarming situation' of Milad Armon, Navid Najaran, Mehdi Imani, and Mohammad Mehdi Hosseini. The human rights group Dadban stated based on 'received information' on social media that these four political prisoners have been accused of 'participation in premeditated murder' and 'moharebeh' (waging war against God). Navid Najaran was transferred from Qezel Hessar Prison in Alborz Province to one of the IRGC intelligence detention centers on May 1, and 'none of the judicial or prison officials have provided a proper response about the reason and location of his transfer' to his family. According to this report, 'Dadban has now learned' that all four defendants in this case have been held for over two months in the IRGC intelligence detention center after being transferred from Qezel Hessar Prison, and Mohammad Hossein Aghasi, a lawyer for one of them, confirmed on June 6 that this transfer occurred 'at least two months ago.' Previously, Reza Shafakhah, a lawyer, announced the 'resubmission of the case by the head of Branch 13 of the Tehran Criminal Court to the prosecutor's office for the purpose of rectifying deficiencies,' stating that this action was 'confidential.' Meanwhile, the Dadban legal group claims that 'the complete closure of the case in the criminal court was announced by the court last winter (2022), and it is unclear why it has been returned to the same court or prosecutor's office.' In early November 2022, during the nationwide protests and after the killing of a Basij force named Arman Ali Vardi in the Ekbatān neighborhood, more than 50 young residents of the Ekbatān neighborhood were arrested by security forces, and an indictment was issued for 14 of them. According to the issued indictment, these protesters have been charged with 'moharebeh,' 'participation in premeditated murder,' and 'disturbing public order and tranquility.' Previously, Payam Darvishan, a lawyer, announced that Milad Armon, Mohammad Mehdi Hosseini, Mehdi Imani, and Navid Najaran are imprisoned on charges of 'moharebeh.'