Akbar Mohammadi
Encyclopedia
Akbar Mohammadi was an Iran
ian student at Tehran University involved in the 18th of Tir crisis
, also known as the July 1999 Iran student protests, Iran's biggest pro-democracy
demonstrations since the 1979 Islamic Revolution
. He was given a death sentence
for his role in the protest -a sentence later reduced to 15 years in prison.
On July 30, 2006, he died at Evin prison
at the age of 37. He had been on a hunger strike for more than a week, reportedly protesting the refusal by the authorities to allow him to seek proper medical treatment for life threatening injuries suffered as a result of torture. Mr. Mohammadi's attorney, Khalil Bahramian, said that according to fellow detainees of his client, he "had been savagely beaten by prison guards in the past few days and that he was carrying the signs of the beatings".
Mr. Mohammadi's violent death caused a major outcry in Iran. On 3 August 2006, Human Rights Watch
called on the Iranian government to allow an "independent investigation into the suspicious death in prison of student activist Akbar Mohammadi". This call was supported by hundreds of leading Iranian personalities and groups.
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian student at Tehran University involved in the 18th of Tir crisis
Iran student riots, July 1999
Iranian Student Protests of July, 1999 were, before the 2009 Iranian election protests, the most widespread and violent public protests to occur in Iran since the early years of the Iranian Revolution.The protests began on July 8 with peaceful demonstrations in Tehran against the closure of the...
, also known as the July 1999 Iran student protests, Iran's biggest pro-democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
demonstrations since the 1979 Islamic Revolution
Iranian Revolution
The Iranian Revolution refers to events involving the overthrow of Iran's monarchy under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and its replacement with an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the...
. He was given a death sentence
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
for his role in the protest -a sentence later reduced to 15 years in prison.
On July 30, 2006, he died at Evin prison
Evin Prison
Evin House of Detention is a prison in Iran, located in Evin, northwestern Tehran. It is noted for its political prisoners' wing, where prisoners have been held both before and after the 1979 Iranian Revolution...
at the age of 37. He had been on a hunger strike for more than a week, reportedly protesting the refusal by the authorities to allow him to seek proper medical treatment for life threatening injuries suffered as a result of torture. Mr. Mohammadi's attorney, Khalil Bahramian, said that according to fellow detainees of his client, he "had been savagely beaten by prison guards in the past few days and that he was carrying the signs of the beatings".
Mr. Mohammadi's violent death caused a major outcry in Iran. On 3 August 2006, Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
called on the Iranian government to allow an "independent investigation into the suspicious death in prison of student activist Akbar Mohammadi". This call was supported by hundreds of leading Iranian personalities and groups.
See also
- Ahmad BatebiAhmad BatebiAhmad Batebi is a former prisoner of conscience. During his studies at the University of Tehran he gained international fame for his appearance on the July 17, 1999 cover of The Economist magazine, holding up a shirt splattered with the blood of a fellow protester.The photo, which has been called...
- Zahra KazemiZahra KazemiZahra "Ziba" Kazemi-Ahmadabadi was an Iranian-Canadian freelance photographer, residing in Montreal, Canada, who died in the custody of Iranian officials following her arrest....
- Saeed MortazaviSaeed MortazaviSaeed Murtazavi is a controversial Iranian jurist and former prosecutor of the Islamic Revolutionary Court, and Prosecutor General of Tehran, a position he has held from 2003 to 2009. He has been called as "butcher of the press" and "torturer of Tehran" by some observers...
- Mahmoud Hashemi ShahroudiMahmoud Hashemi ShahroudiGrand Ayatollah Seyyed Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi is a moderate Iraqi-Iranian politician and Twelver Shi'a Marja. Hashemi Shahroudi was the leader of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, which has caused objections to his serving as the head of Iran's Judiciary System upon his...
- Human rights in IranHuman rights in the Islamic Republic of IranThe state of human rights in Iran has been criticized both by Iranians and international human right activists, writers, and NGOs. The United Nations General Assembly and the Human Rights Commission have condemned prior and ongoing abuses in Iran in published critiques and several resolutions.The...
- Hassan Zarezadeh Ardeshir
External links
- Iranian Dissident Dies in Tehran Prison
- Activist on Hunger Strike Dies in Prison
- Iranian dissident dies in prison
- Akbar Mohammadi Imprisoned and Tortured
- Evidences support that Akbar Mohammadi was killed in prison (in Persian)
- In Memory of Akbar Mohammadi
- Iran: Student Leader Dies In Jail
- Outcry after dissident dies in Iranian jail
- Iranian dies after hunger strike (BBC)
- Amnesty International report on Akbar Mohammadi