The Iranian regime’s judiciary reported the death of political prisoner Javad Rouhi in Nowshahr Prison on Thursday.
Rouhi, a 35-year-old resident of Amol, was arrested in November 2022 during the nationwide uprising and subjected to brutal torture in custody of the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC). The torture was so brutal that Rouhi had lost his ability to speak.
The regime gave him three execution sentences on baseless charges of “spreading corruption on earth” and “waging war against God.” However, due to domestic and international protests, the regime could not carry out this sentence. The regime’s judiciary announced on January 10, 2023, “Javad Rouhi led a group of agitators and individuals present at gatherings, inciting and encouraging citizens to engage in turmoil.”
Iranian political prisoner Javad Ruhi has died under extremely suspicious circumstances in the prison of Nowshahr, northern Iran.
Regime officials claim that Ruhi died from poisoning. All signs and historical evidence indicate this was a state murder by regime authorities. The… pic.twitter.com/4z5ZU7qh2r— People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) August 31, 2023
His death is extremely suspicious, given that it is happening against the backdrop of an uptick of repressive measures by the regime against dissidents ahead of the anniversary of the 2022 nationwide uprisings.
The regime-affiliated Mizan News Agency, quoted prison authorities as saying on Thursday, “According to the public relations office of Nowshahr Prison, Javad Rouhi, a lawfully incarcerated inmate, was transferred to Shahid Beheshti Hospital in Nowshahr at 3:45 AM on Thursday, August 31st, due to going into convulsions. Unfortunately, despite medical efforts, he did not survive. … The deceased’s body has been sent to the forensic medicine department for a complete autopsy and toxicological examinations… Javad Rouhi had been sentenced to execution by the Sari Court, and his case was under review.”
However, a video released on social media shows Rouhi meeting with his father and mother a day before his death, where he does not show any signs of severe illness.
The killing of prisoners of the uprising under torture, poisoning, or other means is routine occurrence in the regime’s prisons. Many prisoners died in this manner both within prisons and after their release.
Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), emphasized that the regime, in its fear of uprisings and downfall, has extended its suppression and repression to all prisons, universities, and the families of prisoners and martyrs. She called on the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and all international authorities to condemn the crimes of the regime against prisoners and to investigate the circumstances of Javad Rouhi’s death. Mrs. Rajavi urged all Iranian youth to protest against the crimes of this regime, especially against the prisoners of the uprising and political prisoners.
I urge the @UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN Human Rights Council, and all global authorities to denounce the regime’s prisoner abuses and probe the death of Javad Rouhi, a protester arrested during the 2022-2023 Iran uprising and detained at Nowshahr prison.
— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) August 31, 2023
Following Rouhi’s death, the regime buried his body secretly in a village in the vicinity of Amol under severe security measures.
Reports on social media indicate that regime authorities arrested Javad Rouhi’s parents, friends and acquaintances, for attending his burial. Tasnim news agency, affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, acknowledged concerns about protests erupting at his funeral and reported, “Some individuals had planned to disrupt Javad Rouhi’s funeral by chanting provocative slogans to incite clashes.”
Simultaneously, some of the regime insiders disguised as inspectors, including prosecutors, prison officials, and physicians known for their involvement in torture, visited Nowshahr Prison to prevent any public outcry or uprising. Their aim was to create narrative pertaining to Rouhi having committed suicide.
Tasnim also released a pre-fabricated statement regarding Javad Rouhi’s medical history for his burial, claiming that he had “a history of methadone use due to past addiction, prescribed by a doctor. However, the deceased had been trying to quit methadone and reduce his consumption in recent months. His medical records showed a history of seizures and hospitalization prior to his detention, and he had previously described these events as suicide attempts.”
The death of Javad Rouhi has raised concerns among human rights organizations.
Amnesty International called it an “abhorrent assault on the right to life amid an ongoing human rights crisis.”
“Iran’s authorities subjected Javad Rouhi to a litany of crimes under international law and other human rights violations, including enforced disappearance and torture and other ill-treatment to force him to ‘confess’ to entering and throwing items from inside a traffic police booth,” Amnesty wrote on its X (formerly Twitter) account.
Amnesty also reiterated that Rouhi was subjected to a flawed judicial process, including denial of access to an independent lawyer of his own choosing.
“All those reasonably suspected of responsibility for crimes under international law against Javad Rouhi must be criminally investigated and held to account in fair proceedings,” Amnesty wrote.
Today’s death in custody of 31-year-old arbitrarily detained protester Javad Rouhi again exposes the Iranian authorities’ abhorrent assault on the right to life amid an ongoing human rights crisis and must be effectively and independently investigated. 1/15 pic.twitter.com/al0jnFGyIS
— Amnesty Iran (@AmnestyIran) August 31, 2023
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