More Details on the Killing of Mohammad Mir Mousavi: Officers Beat Him with Cables, Rods, and Batons; Locals Heard Gunshots

On Saturday, September 1st, the newspaper Shargh reported that Mohammad Mir Mousavi, son of the former deputy mayor of Langarud, who was killed while in police custody, was shot in the back by officers. The newspaper referenced a report from the morgue that indicated the bullet's entry point in Mohammad Mir Mousavi's back, adding that locals who gathered outside the 'Nasrkiadeh' police station in Lahijan heard gunshots. Shargh quoted another resident of Nasrkiadeh village stating, 'During the altercation, they tied Seyed Mohammad to a tree and set his car on fire; the car belonged to his father. Then they took him to the police station, where they tied him to a chair or a post and beat him with cables, iron rods, and batons, leading to his death from these blows.' Additionally, see: Claims by the police regarding the torture and killing of Mohammad Mir Mousavi: attributed to the 'excitement' and 'anger' of the officers. Hirkani, a human rights and environmental media outlet, reported that 36-year-old Mohammad Mir Mousavi, son of Abdollah Mir Mousavi, a former deputy mayor of Langarud, was arrested and taken to the Nasrkiadeh police station during a confrontation with 'Basij forces' in the 'Bala Roudposht' village, part of Lahijan, 'with beatings and injuries.' The newspaper Shargh, without naming the 'Basij,' quoted local residents stating that the party involved in the dispute with Mohammad Mir Mousavi was 'affiliated with one of the organizations,' which is why 'the fight escalated,' and Mohammad's car was also set on fire. The newspaper Etelaat reported that the police only took Mohammad Mir Mousavi with them after arriving at the scene of the altercation. According to Shargh, one of Mohammad Mir Mousavi's neighbors said, 'When the officers arrived, the fight was resolved. The locals told the officers to leave. In the meantime, a verbal altercation occurred. We were not there, but some say the officers spoke badly and insulted Mohammad. Others say Seyed Mohammad, still angry from the fight, insulted the officers himself. The officers, seeing that the situation was becoming tense again, called for backup.' The Hirkani human rights media reported that the time of this citizen's death in police custody was Saturday, September 3rd. According to the newspaper Shargh, five officers present at the Nasrkiadeh police station told Mohammad Mir Mousavi that 'he insulted a government official, so he deserved to be beaten.' The officers reportedly told Mohammad Mir Mousavi's family to refrain from publicizing the news of their son's death in custody. Hirkani also reported that the prosecutor of Lahijan threatened the family of this citizen and prohibited them from any disclosures. According to this report, the Lahijan prosecutor even warned the family of the deceased young man that if they disclosed any information, they would face fabricated charges and arrest. Following the publication of reports about this incident, the Islamic Republic's police, which initially described Mohammad Mir Mousavi's 'death incident' as resulting from the 'excitement' and 'anger' of the officers, announced the dismissal of the Nasrkiadeh police chief and the 'temporary detention' of five negligent officers. There was no mention of the identity or military rank of the detained negligent officers. Meanwhile, amid ongoing widespread criticism of the police's performance and similar behaviors by this force in recent years on social media, the dismissal of Hamid Mohammadi Nasab, the police chief of Lahijan, was also announced on Friday, September 9th. In the third announcement from the public relations center of the Islamic Republic's police, they again referred to the killing of Mohammad Mir Mousavi in police custody as a 'death' and stated that the cause of his death would be determined by the forensic report. In their announcement, they praised what they called the 'around-the-clock services' of the police officers and described the killing of this citizen as an 'exceptional incident.' The Attorney General of the country, Mohammad Kazem Mohammadi Azad, also stated on Saturday that 'disobedience to the orders of a police officer' is a crime and said, 'All prosecutors have a duty to defend the police.' Numerous reports have been published regarding the mistreatment of detainees and their torture in the Islamic Republic's detention centers, but Iranian officials deny the torture of detainees. This comes as, following the killing of Mohammad Mir Mousavi, several social media users referenced the statements of Hassan Mofakhami Shahrastani, the police chief of Mazandaran province, who had instructed his forces earlier this year: 'Anyone who violates norms in this province, break their necks by the law, and the response is on me.' Fatemeh Rajabi, a journalist, commented on the killing of Mohammad Mir Mousavi, referring to the police's actions: 'Do you know what 'chickening' means? If you don't, ask someone who has dealt with the police even for a few days to completely disturb your mind.' In recent days, several civil and professional activists, including Mohammad Habibi, a teachers' union activist who has been imprisoned in the past, emphasized that they witnessed detainees who were severely beaten and tortured in police detention centers. Activists and human rights organizations have repeatedly condemned the mistreatment of detainees and their torture, and international organizations have called for an end to these practices.