UN Fact-finding Mission Must Investigate Ebrahim Rigi’s Death in Custody

Ebrahim Rigi was a 24-year-old Baluch protester who had been recently released and died in police custody according to Hal Vash.

He was first arrested on October 13 for helping the injured in Zahedan’s “Bloody Friday” on September 30 and charged with moharebeh (enmity against god) and efsad-fil-arz (corruption on earth). He was released on bail on January 1 after the death penalty charges were dropped. However, at around 4:30pm on February 22, he was arrested by two policemen on Karimpour Street and taken to the 12th District police station. According to informed sources, he died shortly after entering the police station where he was immediately beaten.

According to the Hal Vash report, in the initial assessment, the judge at the special homicide branch, Mr Jahantigh, the duty judge and the Forensic Medical Organisation had all confirmed that Ebrahim Rigi had died due to the physical assault in the 12th District police station.

Mohammad Saber Malek Raisi, a Baluch human rights activist and a member of Hal Vash told Iran Human Rights: “At 2pm on February 24, Ebrahim Rigi’s body was handed over to his family for burial. There were clear bruises and signs of injury on his body from the beatings he’d received at the 12th District police station.”

“After his family requested an autopsy to establish the cause of death, they were told the Forensic Medical Organisation would conduct the autopsy and the family would be notified within five months,” he added.

There is a history of the death in custody of protesters in the Islamic Republic. Jina (Mahsa) Amini whose death in police custody sparked nationwide protests and many others have died in police custody during arrest and interrogations.