IHRV/2010-02-07 - Mehdi Islamian, 30, is a political prisoner who was detained by agents from the Ministry of Intelligence on May 3, 2008.  Mr. Islamian spent 14 days in an Intelligence detention center located on Artesh Square in the city of Shiraz, where he went through grueling physical and psychological mistreatment. 

Two weeks later, Mr. Islamian was transferred to section 209 of Evin Prison, where he spent the next six months in solitary confinement.

The Ministry of Intelligence interrogators used forms of torture that included: striking Mr. Islamian with electric cable against the soles of feet, back or other sensitive parts of the body; blows with fists and kicks to his head, face, chest or stomach, or other parts of his body, while he was strapped to a chair; injection or forced ingestion of mind-altering drugs; insults, intimidation, and other similarly inhuman acts.

During the torture sessions, Mr. Islamian suffered a broken collar bone and nose, and his tormentors not only refused to treat him, but rather expanded their punishment to cause more pain.

The reason Mr. Islamian was subjected to such physical and psychological pressure was an attempt by the Ministry of Intelligence to force Mr. Islamian to confess to involvement in an explosion that took place in Rahpouyan religious center in Vesal Shiraz, and to admit to having lent financial assistance to his brother for political means. 

The case of Mr. Islamian has been referred to branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court, headed by Judge Salavati, for review.  During the initial court proceedings, Mr. Islamian was accused of Moharebeh, attempts against national security through his involvement in planting bombs, spreading corruption on earth, attempts to dismantle the Islamic Republic of Iran, membership in a kingdom assembly, and his influential financial aid toward anti-revolution groups, and he was given death sentencing. 

Readers are reminded that last April 22, Mr. Islamian’s 21 year-old brother, Mohsen, along with two other political prisoners identified as Ali-Asghar Pashtar and Roozbeh Yahyazadeh, were hanged in Adelabad Prison in Shiraz, and they had likewise been accused of causing the explosion in the religious center.