Handwritten Notes Reveal Torture In Iranian Prisons
Handwritten notes from Javad Rouhi, who died in Nowshahr prison due to medical neglect, show the brutal torture he endured in the hands of state security.
Handwritten notes from Javad Rouhi, who died in Nowshahr prison due to medical neglect, show the brutal torture he endured in the hands of state security.
Atena Daemi, a human rights activist, has since his recent death, made the notes public, drawing attention to the dire plight of inmates in Iran's penitentiaries.
Rouhi, who was apprehended during the nationwide protests, died under suspicious circumstances while in custody on August 31. He had been sentenced to death alongside two other teenagers, on charges of allegedly setting fire to a police station.
The notes written by Rouhi reveal that during his 44 days of incarceration at the Intelligence Department of Mazandaran Province facility, he was subjected to repeated instances of interrogation torture including electric shock and beatings. In one incident, his feet were beaten for three consecutive nights, leading to paralysis and numbness in his right foot.
Rouhi emphasized that all his confessions regarding allegations such as "burning the Quran, insulting sanctities, and damaging government properties" were extracted under duress and the looming threat to his life.
On August 31, the Mizan News Agency, the judiciary's official media outlet, reported his transfer to a hospital due to a "seizure" within Nowshahr Prison, where he ultimately died.
In response to the tragic event, a multitude of users have labeled his suspicious death as a "state murder."
