Iran Human Rights Calls For a Fact-finding Mission into the Suspicious Death of Shahin Naseri

Iran Human Rights calls on international and human rights authorities to investigate Shahin Naseri’s suspicious death. IHR Director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam said: “As punishment for his courageous testimonies about Navid Afkari’s torture, Shahin Naseri was repeatedly sent to solitary confinement and subjected to ill treatment over the past year, but he never succumbed to the pressure and continued to speak out. No matter what official cause of death is given, the Prisons Organisation, the Judiciary and the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic are directly responsible for Shahin Naseri’s death and must be held accountable.”

24 hours after the suspicious death of Shahin Naseri in solitary confinement in the Greater Tehran Penitentiary, authorities have contacted his family and asked them to collect his body from the Kahrizak Forensic Pathologist.

“Last night, after the telephones were cut off, it was after office hours when it’s not usual to have visitors, but the Tehran Prosecutor, Mr Alqasi Mehr, the Head of the Criminal Court, Mr Shahriari and other officials that included the Head of the Prison, visited the Hosseiniyeh Hall where Shahin was held before being transferred to solitary confinement and spoke to his cellmates. Every one of them emphasised that Shahin was healthy and happy and didn’t have problems with anyone. He wasn’t suicidal and had plans for the future, he didn’t suffer from any particular illnesses and didn’t have any enemies in the prison,” an informed source told IHR.

The visit by the Tehran Prosecutor and Head of the Criminal Court raises concerns that officials are trying to cover up Shahin Naseri’s real cause of death by creating their own scenario.

“Shahin had written a letter to mark the anniversary of Navid Afkari’s execution and intended to read it over the phone. But the guards found out and transferred him to solitary confinement before he could read it,” the source added.

The Islamic Republic authorities have continuously denied that Navid Afkari had been subjected to torture and maintained that he had confessed of his own accord. Following the Judiciary’s denial, Iran Human Rights refuted the claims with court documents and pointed to Shahin Naseri’s witness testimony without naming him.

Shahin who was a business expert, provided a detailed description of Navid Afkari’s torture in the “investigation from the witness” document. In his 4-page testimony, he describes hearing Navid Afkari shouting and witnessing two plain-clothed officers beating him. Shahin became an outspoken witness following Navid Afkari’s execution on 12 September 2020 and testified in his own voice about what he had witnessed in interviews and recordings.

Shahin Naseri's written statement: