Father Seeking Justice and Accountability for Juvenile Offender Son’s Death in Custody Amid Major Obstacles

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a trial has been scheduled for 19 December 2021 to investigate Danial Zeinolabedini’s death in custody upon his family’s complaint.

Following a riot in Mahabad prison on 29 March 2020, Danial Zeinolabedini, a juvenile offender on death row for a murder he allegedly committed when he was 17 years old, was sent to solitary confinement with others. There, he told his family when he called them on 31 March, he was beaten and transferred to Miandoab Prison where again, he was beaten. He could barely speak as he said he was dying and asked them for help. Two days later, his father received a call from prison authorities informing him that his son was dead.

While authorities claimed he had committed suicide, his bruised and injured body told its own story. Photos of Danial’s body were published by IHRNGO as evidence (viewer discretion is advised).

An informed source told Iran Human Rights: “Following Danial’s death in custody, his father, Seyed Reza Zeinolabedini filed a complaint to the judiciary to establish the cause of his son’s death. They summoned him to the Mahabad Intelligence Office where he was subjected to eight hours of abuse including being beaten and verbally insulted and abused in the most vulgar way.”

“The Legal Medical Organisation ruled his death as suicide, but there was no explanation provided about the bruises and injuries on his body. This is while all his cellmates provided witness testimonies that Danial was beaten while being transferred from Mahabad to Miandoab Prison and an officer named [name withheld by IHRNGO] who beat him the most was transferred and became the warden at Sardasht Prison days later,” the source added.

Danial’s father previously told Iran Human Rights: “Eight people had beaten him up. We having living witnesses that the deputy warden at Mahabad Prison ordered for him to be beaten up. They brought eight native Kurdish officers after the riot and they separated Danial and his co-defendant Danial Divani-Azar from the other prisoners and beat them to near death in solitary confinement or another location [names of officers held by IHRNGO].”

 “Danial called from Miandoab (prison) on March 31 and told his uncle Kamal, I’m dying! Please come and save me! That call was from Miandoab. A day prior to his death, he called his uncle for less than a minute and said he was dying. The Legal Medical Organisation hasn’t issued the death certificate because they realised that we are sure he was killed, so they didn’t provide us with any documents. Once they said it was by an injection, another time they said it was suffocation. Another time they said he was given pills. They wanted us to agree despite all the injuries on his body from the beating and kicking, the bruises and the swelling on his head and stomach. I just want my complaint to reach the higher ups, even though I know my voice won’t reach anyone and they won’t pay any attention,” he added.

Danial was born on 9 August  2000 and allegedly committed the murder on 22 September 2017, when he was 17 years old. According to his relatives, he did not commit the murder and had always maintained his innocence.