The case known as 'Ekbatān Town' returned to the prosecutor's office due to 'confidential deficiencies'

Human rights media reported on Tuesday, April 16, that the case known as 'Ekbatān Town' was returned to the prosecutor's office due to what has been termed 'confidential deficiencies.' Reza Shafakhah, a lawyer, confirmed this news, stating: 'The head of the office of Branch 13 of the Tehran Criminal Court deemed this case to have deficiencies, but due to its confidential nature, he refrained from disclosing the deficiencies and the reason for returning this case to the prosecutor's office.' The 'Ekbatān Town' case pertains to the investigation of the death of a Basij member named Arman Ali-Vardi, who is reported to have been killed in early November 2022 during the suppression of nationwide protests in Ekbatān Town in western Tehran. In this context, at least 50 young residents of this town were arrested, and indictments were issued for 14 of them. Currently, Milad Armon, Alireza Kafayi, Amir Mohammad Khosh-eqbal, Alireza Barmarz Poornak, Seyed Mohammad Mahdi Hosseini, Hossein Nemat, Mehdi Imani, and Navid Najaran are the defendants in this case, for whom four court sessions have been held so far. Four of the defendants remain in detention at Qazalhasar Prison in Karaj. Payam Darfashan, one of the lawyers for the detainees in the 'Ekbatān Town' case, reported on February 17, 2024, that there are fundamental problems and deficiencies in this case and mentioned that the Revolutionary Court is set to try Milad Armon, Mohammad Mahdi Hosseini, Mehdi Imani, and Navid Najaran, the detainees in Qazalhasar Prison, on charges of 'moharebeh' (waging war against God). According to reports, the defendants in this case have been subjected to severe torture during their detention and coerced into confessing against themselves and other defendants. A lawyer for one of the defendants in the Ekbatān case was not allowed to attend the court. The existence of 'fundamental problems and deficiencies' in the 'Ekbatān Town' case; four people are being tried on charges of 'moharebeh.' The last court session regarding the case known as 'Ekbatān Town' has been held. The second court session for the charges against eight defendants in the case known as 'Ekbatān Town' has been held. The court session for the defendants in the case known as 'Ekbatān Town' will be held on October 7. The defendants in the case known as 'Ekbatān Town' have been transferred to Qazalhasar Prison. According to the Dadeban website, one of the defendants in the 'Ekbatān Town' case was not present during the beating of the killed Basij member.