UN experts call for an independent and impartial investigation into the death in custody of a blogger
Four special rapporteurs of the United Nations yesterday urged the Government of Iran to undertake a thorough, independent and impartial investigation of the death in custody of Iranian blogger Sattar Beheshti, particularly the allegations of torture, and to make the result of such an investigation public. [1] The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the Iranian League for the Defence of Human Rights (LDDHI) welcomed the joint statement and emphasised that all cases of death in custody under torture and other ill treatment must be investigated and the culprits be brought to justice.
Karim Lahidhji, FIDH vice president and LDDHI president, said: “We asked the UN rapporteurs last week, following the death of Sattar Beheshti, to pay special attention to the issue. Furthermore, there have been other reports about the death in custody of an Iranian member of the Arab ethnic minority, Jamil Sowidi, in Ahvaz. The Iranian authorities must now act upon the recommendation of the UN experts; investigate deaths of scores of prisoners under torture and other ill treatment in the past few years and bring to justice culprits and suspects such as Saeed Mortezavi rather than promoting them.”