Iranian press review: New death sheds light on abuse in police custody

More deaths among prisoners in police custody

In the most recent death in police custody, Iranian citizen Mohammad Mir Mousavi was killed while in detention in Langrood, a city in the north of the country.

News of the 36-year-old's death was first reported on August 28 by human rights activists from the human rights group Hengaw.

A video showing Mousavi's body with signs of torture was also shared on the social media platform X.

Mir Mousavi, a resident of Seyed Mahaleh village, reportedly died on August 24 after being arrested in a brawl.

He was reportedly severely tortured at the Langrood police station, which led to his death.

Hengaw sources said that following Mir Mousavi's death, security forces, including the Gilan Provincial Prosecutor's Office, threatened his family and warned them not to reveal details of his death.

In a statement on Mir Mousavi's death, police officials said the death was due to the “uncontrolled anger and emotions” of the officers involved in his arrest.

As news of Mir Mousavi's death broke, BBC Farsi published a video sent in by a viewer showing police in the town of Ray forcibly dragging a detainee into the back seat of a police car.

Iran builds wall on the border with Afghanistan

In the face of rising xenophobia and the fact that Afghan refugees are increasingly being used as scapegoats by politicians to blame for the country's problems, the government has begun building a fortified border wall with Afghanistan.

Iran: Anti-Afghan sentiment is increasing

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On Saturday, a state-run Iranian newspaper reported that $3.3 billion had been allocated for the massive infrastructure project, which will span five eastern provinces, including Golestan, Razavi Khorasan, North Khorasan, South Khorasan and Sistan and Baluchestan.

The wall, which is scheduled to be completed in five years, will consist of a four-meter-high concrete barrier reinforced with barbed wire and fences along the border.

In parallel with the construction of the wall, Iran has intensified its efforts to detain and deport undocumented Afghan refugees by imposing stricter regulations on their stay in the country.

In a statement outlining the campaign's objectives, the Shams newspaper argued: “The lack of a strict policy to protect Iran's national interests, security and territorial integrity has led to an uncontrolled influx of Afghan citizens into the country.”

Speculation about talks to lift sanctions is increasing

With the appointment of Abbas Araghchi as Iranian Foreign Minister and Mohammad Javad Zarif as Special Assistant to the President, speculation is growing about a new round of negotiations with Washington to lift international sanctions against Iran.

Although Iran's foreign policy agenda is essentially determined by the country's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, other institutions are responsible for implementing the leadership's instructions.

Iran's Masoud Pezeshkian: Reformist hope or conservative trap?

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Debates about the country's foreign policy typically become more heated when a new government takes office.

Following the election of Masoud Pezeshkian, a politician considered moderate in his international stance, a group of analysts predicted that the new government would try to reach a new agreement with the United States.

Foreign policy expert Hassan Beheshtipour said Iran would negotiate directly or indirectly with the United States.

Arman-e-Melli, a newspaper close to moderate groups in Iran, also reported that the new government would try to lift international sanctions against the country.

“It is not clear whether the government and decision-makers intend to lift the sanctions by reviving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or through broader negotiations with the Americans,” the daily wrote.

“The new government has consistently placed emphasis on lifting restrictions and reaching an agreement on the nuclear issue,” it said.

Poverty destroys education

Severe underfunding of the Iranian education system, coupled with a shortage of teachers, has contributed to a growing illiteracy crisis among children and young people, the daily Ham Mihan reported.

According to the report, in remote and underprivileged provinces, five out of twenty sixth or seventh grade students do not have adequate literacy skills.

The situation is particularly bad in Sistan and Baluchestan, Iran's poorest province. The educational conditions there are the worst in the country.

Ham Mihan wrote that in this region, primary school students have to walk 10 to 12 kilometers to get to school, while secondary school students have to walk 20 to 30 kilometers because there are no schools nearby.

A primary school teacher from this region described grim accounts of the lives of his students.

“Many of my students are forced to sell charcoal instead of concentrating on their studies. These children are more interested in earning money than going to school,” he explained.