Suspicious death of a supporter of Ayatollah Kazemeini-Boroujerdi

Translated and edited by: Banafsheh zand

The Organization of Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran reports that Mr. Mohammad Sawmeni, a supporter and relative of Mr. Kazemeini-Boroujerdi passed away on July 12th, at age 74. He was the father of Mr. Kazemeini-Boroujerdi’s daughter-in-law. Due to his family relation to Boroujerdi, he had, over the years, been summoned to the special clerical tribunal for interrogation during which time, he was repeatedly threatened. He had also been arrested, though released, by putting his property as bail bond. 

According to one of Mr. Sawmeni’s children, his half-naked, bloodied and battered body had been found two weeks prior to his death in a busy area of Tehran. After regaining consciousness in the hospital, he divulged that he had been attacked from behind and hit on the head. During the two weeks following the incident, when he went in and out of consciousness he specifically gave certain details. In his last conversation he was able to explain the following details: “A while before I was attacked, I had received another call from the special clerical tribunal and was told that they had agreed to allow Mr. Kazemeini-Boroujerdi out on a furlough, on the condition that he does not meet with anyone during that period and he does not contact anyone outside Iran. I was told that since I was an elder of the family, I should pen a letter guaranteeing that all of the conditions would be met and that said letter should be addressed directly to the Supreme Leader, himself. I was then threatened and warned that I must act on this immediately and provide the letter within maximum, two to three weeks.”

Mr. Sawmeni’s offspring added: “During the last few years, the special clerical tribunal summoned my father repeatedly where he was asked time and time again, to speak to Mr. Kazemeini-Boroujerdi and impress upon him to cooperate with the tribunal, to help get himself out of imminent danger. On one of such occasions, he had even been told that he must go to visit Mr. Kazemeini-Boroujerdi in prison and use his influence to get him to pen a letter, repenting, asking the Supreme Leader to pardon him.”

The Organization of Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran while offering its condolences to the remaining family members, calls upon the United Nations High Commission on Human Rights to organize an investigative committee to look into the vicious and suspicious murder in the prisons (of Iran) and throughout our country in general. We also ask that charges of crimes against humanity be brought against Ali Khamenei and every member of his accomplice clerical faction such as Sadegh Larijani (head of the Islamic judiciary).