New Details on the Torture of Mohammad Mehdi Karami and Mohammad Hosseini; They Were Told They Had Been Pardoned

The Committee for the Follow-up of the Situation of Detainees reported on Thursday, September 2, new details regarding the defendants in the case of the killing of Rouhollah Ajamian, stating that around dawn on the day of the execution of Mohammad Mehdi Karami and Seyed Mohammad Hosseini, they were told they had been pardoned. The committee quoted 'prisoners who were in solitary confinement that night' recounting that Mr. Hosseini 'prostrated in gratitude from happiness, and the others thought that the execution had been canceled, but the next morning when the administrative staff came and took them back to the ward, they realized that the execution order for Mohammad Mehdi and Seyed Mohammad had been carried out.' According to the report, a type of torture referred to as 'chickening' was repeatedly used against the defendants in the case of the killing of Rouhollah Ajamian, where the individual's hands and feet are bound from behind and they are hung from the ceiling with chains while being beaten by several people along with verbal abuse. This situation for the prisoners continued for 30 days, during which they were subjected to 'mock executions.' In other words, they were told they would be executed, taken to the yard, blindfolded, but after a few minutes, they were pulled back by their hair or beard and returned to their cell. Standing on one leg, verbal abuse, punching, kicking, and beating, including with electric shockers, and guards sitting on the prisoners' necks were among the other methods of torture used by prison officials. The report stated that the torture of Mohammad Mehdi Karami and Seyed Mohammad Hosseini was more severe than that of others; for example, while 'chickening' for others lasted 20 minutes, this situation lasted for Seyed Mohammad for 50 minutes. After the initial sentences were issued for the defendants in this case, which sentenced all to 25 years in prison and five to execution, the prisoners were forcibly given tranquilizer pills. After that, the sentences were overturned, and only the execution sentences for Mohammad Mehdi Karami and Seyed Mohammad Hosseini were confirmed. According to the report, Mohammad Mehdi Karami intended to go on a hunger strike, and the other prisoners wanted to accompany him. 'Mohammad Mehdi said that my execution is imminent; this is my last effort. But the guard officer said, let us handle it ourselves.' The report further states that on the morning of Friday, January 6, the prison chief, along with several others, entered the ward under the pretext of reviewing and addressing the prisoners' problems, where Abbasi, the prison chief, told Mohammad Mehdi Karami and Seyed Mohammad Hosseini, 'Come, let's talk in my office.' According to the report, 'on the way, they separated Mohammad Mehdi and Seyed [Mohammad] and took them to solitary confinement designated for death row inmates.' It is worth mentioning that according to the final rulings issued by the Supreme Court, Hamid Ghareh Hassanlou was sentenced to 15 years of exile, and Reza Arya, Hossein Mohammadi, and Mehdi Mohammadi were each sentenced to 10 years of exile. Additionally, Mohammad Amin Akhlaqi Savojbolaghi, Amin Mehdi Shakrollahi, and Farzaneh Ghareh Hassanlou were each sentenced to five years of exile, and Ali Moazemi Goudarzi was sentenced to three years of exile. The father of Mohammad Mehdi Karami: I hope that 1402 will be full of good events. Confirmation of the sentences of the defendants in the case of 'Rouhollah Ajamian' by the Supreme Court; 15 years of exile for Hamid Ghareh Hassanlou. Amnesty International warns of the danger of execution for 14 imprisoned protesters in Iran. The morning of Iranians begins with anxiety over the execution of another young protester. The summoning of Iranian diplomats by Europeans; Germany: A regime that kills its youth has no future. A lawyer pointed out regarding the execution of two protesters: When the main killer is not identified, blood money should be determined, not the death penalty. Widespread reactions to the execution of Mohammad Mehdi Karami and Mohammad Hosseini; the European Union is 'horrified.' Prominent Iranian artists condemned the execution of two more young protesters. International reactions to the execution of two more protesters; 'We must treat the Iranian government like terrorists.'