Iranian Regime Kills Student

...................................................................Painting of Akbar Mohammadi by artist Tom Block for Amnesty International


In yet another piece of deeply disturbing news, the Iranian government is responsible for the death of another innocent person in Evin prison. This time, the victim was student demonstrator Akbar Mohammadi.

During his international lecture tour, famous political activist and Evin prisoner, Akbar Ganji, has said that the Iranian "regime has not executed a political prisoner in years." While that seems quite implausible, it is certain that they are nonetheless killing people.

Mohammadi, like all of the prisoners of consience at Iran's prisons, sustained multiple and extensive short and long term injuries as a result of severe torture and maltreatment. Injustice Minister Jamal Karimirad has told Reuters news agency that Mohammadi "was under intense supervision by the prison physician. Last night his health condition deteriorated," which, in aggressor-speak means this poor soul was brutally murdered. Even if he was on a hunger strike, as has been reported, he should not have been allowed to die which, at the very least, is what the authorities did.

In fact, the government account about how Mohammadi was receiving proper medical care is almost certainly a falsehood considering that, amongst various other severe injuries he sustained during the course of his imprisonment, the first year he was imprisoned his pelvis was very seriously injured after he was thrown down a flight of stairs in the prison and was never treated properly which resulted in permanent pelvis damage and a deterioration in his ability to walk.

It is a conundrum beyond any comprehension that we must even discuss post-torture medical care. Clearly there is absolutely no regard for the health and welfare of a prisoner when he is systematically and brutally tortured in the first place.

Neither the official state media nor the so-called Iranian Student's News Agency has anything to report about this news which is certainly of great interest to a very high number of Iranians who have been following the tragic case of Akbar Mohammadi. However, many Iranians are no doubt assuming that Mohammadi was intentionally killed to keep him from divulging information about the government and his torture in prison which he did once in 2003 during a 6-day prison leave to receive an operation for extensive injuries sustained in prison.

Akbar Mohammadi is an incredibly brave individual -- a hero by any standards -- to stand up and speak out against a regime so ruthless, so violent and so extremely intolerant, inhumane, and unjust toward anyone who dares question it. Akbar Mohammadi's entire family, in fact, is an Iranian national treasure -- heroes who have suffered beyond belief for the cause of democracy in Iran. Their sacrifice will not be forgotten.