Final Court Session for Eight Defendants in the 'Ekbatan Town' Case in Tehran

The final court session addressing the charges against four defendants in the case known as 'Ekbatan Town' and detainees from the nationwide protests of 2022 was held on Saturday, November 3, 2023. Four other defendants will appear in court on November 4. During the Saturday session, held in Branch 13 of the Tehran Criminal Court, Milad Armon, Seyed Mohammad Mahdi Hosseini, Mehdi Imani, and Navid Najaran, who had previously faced charges of 'Moharebeh' (waging war against God), presented their final defenses regarding the charges of 'participation in murder and intentional bodily harm.' Hossein Ne'mati, Alireza Barmarzpournak, Alireza Kafayi, and Amir Mohammad Khoshghab, the other four defendants in this case who were released from Qazalhasar Prison on bail in February 2023, will also appear in court for the last time on Sunday, November 4. It is reported that the court's verdict will be announced within a week. The 'Ekbatan Town' case pertains to the death of a Basij member named Arman Ali-Vardi, who is said to have been killed in November 2022 in Ekbatan Town during the crackdown on nationwide protests. At least 50 young residents of this residential town located in the west of the capital have been detained in connection with this case, among whom indictments were issued for 14 individuals, ultimately leading to eight youths facing charges of murder or participation in the murder of this Basij member. According to independent reports and human rights sources, the defendants in the 'Ekbatan Town' case have been subjected to severe torture during their detention and coerced into confessing against themselves and other defendants.