The US State Department on Tuesday denounced what it called the suspicious death of Iranian human rights lawyer Khosrow Alikordi, saying his case highlights the severe risks faced by those defending basic freedoms in the Islamic theocracy.
Alikordi, a 46-year-old prominent lawyer for jailed protesters and a former political prisoner, was found dead under unclear circumstances on Friday night, prompting some attorneys and activists to suggest possible Islamic Republic involvement.
"He devoted his life to defending Iranians who were fighting for freedom — including imprisoned protesters and the families of those killed by the Islamic Republic — even though he knew it meant putting his own life at risk," the State Department said in a post on its Persian-language X account.
"Years ago, he wrote: 'If I am killed, I am just one person — it is nothing. Do not let my homeland fall into the hands of the vile.' He never fought for himself alone; his struggle was for the people of Iran and for his country."
His death, the State Department said, "is a stark reminder of the dangers faced by those who fight for their rights in Iran."
"The United States continues to stand with the people of Iran in their pursuit of freedom and justice."
Alikordi died of cardiac arrest in his office in Mashhad, northeastern Iran, according to a report on Saturday by Iranian lawyers news agency (Vokala Press).
His body was transferred to the forensic institute for determination of “the main cause of cardiac arrest,” while police restricted entry to and from the office, according to media reports.
However, fellow lawyer Marzieh Mohebbi wrote on X that Alikordi died from “a blow to the head”, according to what she called "trusted contacts". Security officers, she said, removed cameras from the area and that access to his family had become impossible.
Alikordi, originally from Sabzevar and living in Mashhad, had represented political detainee Fatemeh Sepehri, several people arrested during the 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom protests, and bereaved families including that of Abolfazl Adinezadeh, a teenager killed during protests.
“We find his death highly suspicious and do not believe he died of a heart attack," Adinezadeh's sister Marziyeh said in an Instagram post about their lawyer's death.
