Iranian police commander released after death in custody

Tehran, Iran – Iranian police have dismissed the commander of a town in the northern province of Gilan after a prisoner died in custody, state media reported Saturday.

Mohammad Mir Mousavi, 36, was arrested on July 22 after he was involved in a brawl in Lahijan, police said in a statement carried by the official IRNA news agency.

“The police commander … was dismissed for failing to adequately monitor the conduct and behavior of the staff,” police said. “Due to the complexity of the matter, the final conclusion on the cause of death of Mohammad Mir Mousavi depends on the final report of the coroner.”

Police said the station manager and several officers involved in the incident had been suspended.

“The conduct of some police officers violated the police code of conduct and is in no way acceptable. Therefore, they have been referred to the judicial authorities,” the statement said.

The Norway-based Kurdish human rights organization Hengaw said on Wednesday that Mir Mousavi was “killed under torture in the prison camp.”

On Thursday, Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian ordered an investigation into the case.

Iran's president orders investigation after activists claim police tortured man to death

Dismissals of members of the security forces are rare in Iran.

In 2022, the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman arrested in Tehran for allegedly violating the country's strict dress code for women, sparked months of nationwide protests with deadly consequences.