Ambiguity in Kahrizak case–no judges have been suspended

Alireza Avaee has stated that so far the judge related to Kahrizak case has not been suspended. In an interview with ISNA News Agency, when asked about the suspension of judges associated with the Kahrizak case, the Ministry of Justice’s Chief Officer said that so far no suspensions have taken place. Previously it had been said that at least one judge has been suspended in relation to this case. Referring to the resumption of meetings to review charges against a former police commander in Tehran Province’s Penal Court, Avaee said that continuation of the review has been postponed until March. He stated that the case was missing documentation and the plaintiffs’ statements had to be heard. He added that all crimes related to this case had to be simultaneously reviewed and therefore the Branch 76 of Tehran Province Penal Court had decided to postpone the review until a later date.

Mohammad Taghi Rahbar, Member of the Legal and Judicial Commission of the Islamic Parliament has also told ILNA News Agency that this Commission has not done any followups to the Parliament’s special commission for fact finding on the events that transpired at Kahrizak Detention Center, and has no plans for doing so, either. He said: “Top Judiciary authorities appeared at the Legal and Judicial Commission and announced that some of those responsible for Kahrizak events had been detained and several others were also being pursued.” So far no names have been announced and it is not clear how the said individuals are being pursued and how the violations will be addressed.

Considering the special commission of the Parliament had named the then Tehran Prosecutor Saeed Mortazavi as the official who had committed violations such as ordering the dispatch of detainees to Kahrizak Detention Center, it appears that cases mentioned about Saeed Mortazavi are now vague and in a limbo as well. Regarding holding Mortazavi accountable, Rahbar said that the Legal and Judicial Commission of the Parliament is not planning to invite Mortazavi to hear his defense statements and it is upon the Judiciary to do so. Prior to any decision making about Mortazavi by the Judiciary, Rahbar, who heads the clerics fraction of the Islamic Parliament, had stated that the investigations must not only focus on Mortazavi. “We must not only focus on Mortazavi as the culprit in the incidents, because he has stated that he did not order the dispatch of the suspects to Kahrizak,” Rahbar had said.

Earlier, there was news that 57 Members of the Parliament had written a letter to the President and Head of the Judiciary, following up on the report submitted by the special parliamentary commission. Mohammad Taghi Rahbar disavowed any knowledge about such letter.