Malekan: Report of a Prisoner’s Death Under Torture
21-November-2024
Category: Prisoners
November 20, 2024
Category: Prisoners
Breathing in Confinement: On Saturday, November 16, 2024, Ghaffar Akbari, a 48-year-old prisoner from the village of Yulqunlu-ye Jadid, died due to torture in the Malekan Intelligence Office.
According to Breathing in Confinement, the news outlet of the Prisoners’ Rights League in Iran, Akbari was arrested on October 29 along with family members and others on charges of participating in the murder of a man named Malekali Bakhshian.
He was subjected to extreme torture at the Malekan Police Station to force a confession. Akbari eventually confessed under duress and was transferred to Maragheh Prison. However, his physical condition deteriorated severely due to the torture, requiring him to be taken to a hospital. He passed away after two days in a coma.
Following news of Akbari’s death, his family and residents of Yulqunlu-ye Jadid gathered in protest outside the Malekan judiciary building in Vali-Asr Town on Saturday, November 16, demanding clarification on his cause of death and prosecution of those responsible.
According to local witnesses, law enforcement deployed forces from the provincial capital to Khamenei Technical School in Malekan to maintain control and prepare for any escalation.
Two days after Akbari’s death, on Monday, November 18, the family’s lawyer received official permission to transfer his body to Tabriz for an autopsy. However, government officials revoked the order, burying the body without an autopsy or family seeing the body in the presence of Malekan residents and villagers from Yulqunlu-ye Jadid.
Witnesses who saw the body prior to burial reported signs of torture, including multiple bruises and missing nails.
According to informed sources, Ghaffar Akbari was tortured at the Malekan Police Station under the supervision of city prosecutor Morteza Aliansab and investigator Akbar Salmanpour. This torture led to his death, holding these judicial officials and the intelligence agents responsible.
The Prisoners’ Rights League condemns this brutal and inhumane act of torturing detainees to death, viewing it as a blatant example of forced confessions under duress for crimes they did not commit. The League calls on the international community to investigate the circumstances surrounding Akbari’s death and to hold those responsible accountable.