Putting it in context

[Brett Solomon]

http://en.irangreenvoice.com/article/2012/nov/06/3860

Sattar Beheshti was
arrested<http://en.irangreenvoice.com/article/2012/nov/06/3856>
*by Iran’s cyber police on national security charges* on 30 October. After
raiding his home and violently arresting the young activist, the security
forces confiscated his personal belongings, including his computer and
handwritten note*s.*
Activist Sattar Beheshti dies under torture in Iran's Evin Prison
created 11/06/2012 - 21:06, updated 11/06/2012 - 21:30

GVF — Exactly a week after his
arrest<http://en.irangreenvoice.com/article/2012/nov/06/3856>by Iran’s
cyber police, labour activist Sattar Beheshti has died as a
result of torture at the hands of his captors, according to opposition
reports.

*Kaleme*, a site close to Green Movement leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, said
on Tuesday that Beheshti had died under torture.

The Beheshti family were reportedly contacted by the authorities on Tuesday
morning and told that they were to refer to Evin Prison to receive the 35
year-old’s body.

The website said it could not confirm Beheshti’s death because prison
authorities had not yet handed over his body to the family.

“According to eyewitnesses who had spoken to family members held at Evin
Prison, Beheshti had been severely beaten and tortured while under
interrogation. Bruises and torture marks were noticeable on the political
prisoner’s body, face and head,” *Kaleme* added.

Beheshti’s sister told *Kaleme* that her husband was contacted by the
authorities and told to “prepare” Beheshti’s mother for the news.

“They told him to buy a grave, and to collect the body tomorrow [7
November]. That’s it! We know nothing else. We don’t know why they killed
him, or what exactly happened [to him]. We don’t know what happened. My
brother was well when he left the house. He left on his own two feet.
Everyone saw that he was healthy. My brother didn’t even take headache
pills.”

“They told [us] not to give interviews to anyone,” she went on to add.

“They said he had heart problems!”

Sattar Beheshti was
arrested<http://en.irangreenvoice.com/article/2012/nov/06/3856>by
Iran’s cyber police on national security charges on 30 October. After
raiding his home and violently arresting the young activist, the security
forces confiscated his personal belongings, including his computer and
handwritten notes.

Beheshti was a worker in the city of Robat Karim, 25 kilometers southwest
of the nation’s capital Tehran. He was his family’s only breadwinner and
was reportedly active on the social networking site *Facebook*.

Launched in January 2011, Iran’s cyber police has been an important element
in the state’s relentless crackdown on online activism.



-- 
Brett Solomon
Executive Director | Access
accessnow.org | rightscon.org
+1 917 969 6077 | skype: brettsolomon | @accessnow
Key ID: 0x312B641A
<http://www.europarl.europa.eu/parliament/public/staticDisplay.do?language=en&id=42>
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