A young Iranian protester who was one of the icons of the Women, Life, Freedom movement has died in prison following a “seizure,” Iranian judiciary claimed .
Javad Rouhi, who was 35 years old, was incarcerated in northern Nowshahr prison and had been sentenced to death. The Supreme Court overturned his death sentence and he was awaiting re-sentencing. Amnesty International had previously reported extensive accounts of severe physical and psychological abuse during Rouhi’s detention.
Majid Kaveh announced the news of his death on social media (X, formerly known as Twitter). Rouhi’s family also confirmed that he had died but there remain differing accounts regarding the circumstances of his death. Official reports say that he had a seizure at 3:45am on Thursday and was urgently transferred to Shahid Beheshti Hospital in Nowshahr where he was pronounced dead. Other activist reports suggest that he was killed by the regime.
Tasnim News Agency, affiliated with the IRGC, reported that a judicial order had been issued to inspect the prison’s CCTV cameras, document the deceased’s personal belongings including notes and medications, and conduct a post-mortem examination and toxicology tests to ascertain the cause of death.
Rouhi was arrested during the Woman, Life, Freedom protests in September 2022 and was received a triple death sentence, which was overturned by the Supreme Court.
Rouhi is the latest name added to the long list of political and ideological prisoners who have lost their lives in Iranian prisons in recent years.
Amnesty International reported in September 2021 that it had documented at least 72 individuals who had died in Iranian prisons due to various forms of torture and mistreatment since January 2010.
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