Human Rights Sources Report Increased Pressure by IRGC on Four Prisoners in the 'Ekbatān Town' Case for Forced Confessions

Human rights sources in Iran say that the Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is increasing pressure on Mohammad Mahdi Hosseini, Mahdi Imani, Milad Arman, and Navid Najaran in an effort to extract forced confessions from them in the case known as 'Ekbatān Town'. The Iran Human Rights Center announced on Sunday, June 6, that these four individuals, who were transferred from Qazalhessar Prison to an unknown location on Tuesday, April 30, are now under severe pressure from interrogators to confess to actions they did not commit. Peyman Darvishan, a lawyer, previously stated that Milad Arman, Mohammad Mahdi Hosseini, Mahdi Imani, and Navid Najaran are facing charges of 'Moharebeh' (waging war against God). The case known as Ekbatān Town had eight defendants, four of whom—Hossein Nemat, Alireza Barmazpournak, Alireza Kafayi, and Amir Mohammad Khoshghab—were released from Qazalhessar Prison on bail last year. This case was returned to the prosecutor's office in April this year due to what was described as a 'secret defect'. The 'Ekbatān Town' case involves the death of a Basij member named Arman Ali-Vardi, who is reported to have been killed during the suppression of nationwide protests in November 2022 in Ekbatān Town, Tehran. At least 50 young residents of this residential complex located in the western part of the capital were arrested in connection with this case, of which indictments were issued for 14 individuals. According to independent reports and human rights sources, the defendants in the 'Ekbatān Town' case have also been subjected to severe torture during their detention and forced to confess against themselves and other defendants. The continued lack of information about the defendants in the 'Ekbatān Town' case after their transfer to an unknown location has raised concerns. The case was returned to the prosecutor's office due to a 'secret defect', and the lawyer of one of the defendants was not allowed to attend the court. There are 'fundamental problems and defects' in the 'Ekbatān Town' case; four individuals are being tried on charges of 'Moharebeh'. The last court session regarding the 'Ekbatān Town' case has been held.