Iran International
The recent death of Mohammad Mir-Mousavi, who succumbed to injuries from severe torture while in custody, has once again revealed the pervasive abuse within Iran's police, security, and judicial institutions.
The case, occurring at a detention center in northern Gilan province, starkly illustrates that extrajudicial killings are not isolated incidents but integral to the state’s broader system of repression and oppression.
For some time now, human rights activists have identified several of Iran's detention centers as particularly deadly for prisoners, including Shapour Intelligence Detention Center in Tehran and others in Shiraz, Yasuj, Bushehr, Bandar Abbas, and Zahedan. Among these, Shapour Detention Center in southern Tehran stands out as one of the most notorious, often referred to as the "dungeon for prisoners."
In these detention centers, suspects are treated as guilty from the outset, with interrogators using various forms of torture to extract confessions. Detainees are often handcuffed, shackled, and kept in unsanitary conditions throughout their detention and interrogation.
Upon arrival at these centers, suspects are immediately presumed guilty, and interrogators employ various torture methods to extract confessions. The moment a detainee enters the interrogation rooms, they are often told that the only way out is to confess to the charges already prepared for them. The interrogators, who often conceal their identities, use a range of torture methods, from sleep deprivation and beatings to more extreme physical abuse, such as whipping with cables, baton strikes, and even "roasting," where detainees are tied and suspended from a rod, enduring severe pain until they confess.
The sanitary conditions are deplorable, and detainees are often kept in handcuffs and shackles for the duration of their detention and interrogation. If a detainee denies the charges, they are immediately subjected to beatings by multiple officers, escalating to more brutal forms of torture if they continue to resist.
If they refuse to confess, they are subjected to further torture, including prolonged sleep deprivation, beatings with cables and batons, and other cruel methods. Extreme methods such as suspending detainees by their hands or feet, breaking bones, and burning with cigarettes are routinely employed. As their physical condition deteriorates, many are coerced into giving false confessions or accepting fabricated charges.
Some detainees, after being forced to make false confessions under torture, retract their statements in court, only to face threats of further torture from their interrogators. These confessions often lead to long prison sentences or even execution.
In recent years, some detainees who have been coerced into confessing under torture have recanted their statements in court, emphasizing the brutality they endured during interrogation. However, many others, fearing further torture or retribution, reluctantly confirm their confessions in court, which often leads to severe sentences, including imprisonment or execution. Some suffer lifelong physical and psychological scars from their ordeal, bearing the pain and trauma of their torture for the rest of their lives.
Security agencies such as the Ministry of Intelligence and the IRGC Intelligence Organization sometimes transfer political and ideological prisoners who resist confessing under torture in security wards to the detention centers of the Intelligence Department. They believe that detainees sent to these detention centers will eventually, under the pressure of torture, accept all or part of the fabricated scenarios prepared for them and confess to crimes they did not commit.
Despite the ongoing use of torture, which violates Article 38 of the Islamic Republic's Constitution which bans torture for extracting confessions or obtaining information, authorities continue their practices unchecked. Iran has consistently refused to join the United Nations Convention Against Torture, citing this constitutional provision.
A pattern of impunity
Mir-Mousavi’s death has sparked widespread outrage in Iran, with many on social media also sharing the stories of other detainees who have suffered similar fates under the regime’s security apparatus.
Lawyer Ali Mojtahedzadeh condemned the death, calling it "a crime." He stressed that "those who ordered and carried out this atrocity, regardless of their position, are criminals deserving of punishment."
Mohammad Habibi, a teachers' union activist, highlighted that many young individuals like Mir-Mousavi face torture within police and security institutions, with their suffering frequently remaining unacknowledged. Habibi shared his own experiences from the Greater Tehran Central Penitentiary, where he observed numerous inmates with broken limbs and bruised bodies returning from the Shapour Detention Center’s Intelligence section and other police facilities.
Atefeh Nabavi, previously a political prisoner, shared a story of a female inmate accused of murder, noting how she had been beaten so severely that her speech had become impaired, oscillating between confusion and consciousness. Despite the lack of evidence against her, she was tortured into confessing.
A former commander of the notorious Islamic Revolutionary Guards also commented on the death of Mir-Mousavi. "Why do such incidents keep happening from time to time?" Hossein Alaei said at a police station in Lahijan. The Navy commander stressed the importance of proper training for police officers in their interactions with the public.
In fact, it is not a matter of incidents occurring "from time to time" but rather a recurring pattern of abuse and torture that has persisted under the regime for years, with impunity.
Since the inception of the Islamic Republic, tens of thousands—likely many more—of political and ideological detainees, protesters, opponents of the mandatory hijab, journalists, and other societal members have endured torture in Iran’s detention centers, with many losing their lives as a result.
Families of these victims, seeking justice for their loved ones, often encounter futility in their efforts. Investigations rarely identify the perpetrators, and accountable officials frequently face no consequences.
For decades, Iranian authorities have persistently refused to acknowledge any responsibility for these deaths.
The strike, now in its second month, has spread to more than 50 cities, marking the largest professional protest by nurses in a century. Nurses and emergency medical technicians are protesting against long working shifts, low wages, and mandatory overtime.
Fereydoun Moradi, a member of the Supreme Council of the Nursing System, recently highlighted the issue of unpaid nursing service fees which have not been deposited into nurses' accounts for over a year.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Mohammad Reza Zafarghandi admitted that the government owes nurses more than 70 trillion rials (over $116 billion). Although he said that these dues would be paid promptly, no action has been taken, leaving nurses determined to continue their industrial action.
The situation is further exacerbated by the Iranian government's mismanagement of the National Development Fund (NDF) which was intended for long-term national investments. In a Saturday interview on state TV, President Masoud Pezeshkian announced that, with the approval of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, funds from the National Development Fund will be allocated to pay nurses, farmers, teachers, and for essential medicines.
The crisis has also led to a increase in the migration of nurses. Ahmad Nejatian, head of the Nursing Organization, reported that the average annual migration of nurses has doubled between 2021 and 2023. With approximately 20% of nursing students now seeking to leave the country, the trend is expected to worsen, particularly as countries like Germany and Denmark have made it easier for Iranian nurses to migrate.
The exodus, combined with low wages and harsh working conditions, has weakened Iran's healthcare system. The country currently has only 1.5 nurses per 1,000 people, compared to the global average of three. Many nurses report burnout and an inability to provide adequate care to patients, further straining an already fragile system.
Samira Rahi, a journalist based in Turkey who specialises in Iranian social issues, criticized the Iranian government's lack of resolve.
"When nurses demonstrated their dedication during the pandemic, the system took advantage of them. The Islamic Republic relies on temporary fixes to address the issue superficially, but as long as the underlying structural problems remain unresolved, all these measures will be ineffective," she told Iran International.
As the government continues to neglect the demands of its healthcare workers, the future of Iran's nursing profession—and the quality of care available to its citizens—remains uncertain.
The post was first published Monday, showing Ambassador Ian McConville and his colleagues celebrating the Wear It Purple Day in Iran, where homosexuality is officially banned, and homosexuals face the threat of execution.
Reacting to the post, Iran’s foreign ministry announced Tuesday that it had summoned McConville to “condemn” the publication of a post that “was offensive and against Iranian and Islamic norms and customs.”
The Instagram post, which expressed support for all sexual and gender groups, has been harshly criticized by Iran’s state-run media and religious officials. “Decisive action has to be taken against [McConville] in accordance with legal and Islamic ordinances,” said Alireza Arafi, a top Shia cleric and head of Iran's Islamic Seminaries.
In Iran, homosexuality is punishable by death for men and by 100 lashes for women. On repeated offenses, women can be also executed under the laws of the Islamic Republic which are based on a hardline interpretation of Shia Islam.
The US State Department has expressed concern about reports that Iran's “security forces harassed, arrested, and detained individuals they suspected or perceived as being LGBTQI+."
It’s unlikely that the Australian embassy was unaware of Iran’s official position on homosexuality. The decision to publicize the celebration may therefore be seen as a message of encouragement for the Iranian LGBTQI+ community suffering under Islamic rule.
“Today, and every day, we’re dedicated to creating a supportive environment, where everyone, especially LGBTQIA+ youth, can feel proud to be themselves,” the original post read. “Let’s keep championing diversity and inclusion for a brighter, more inclusive future 🤝🏳️🌈.”
The sentiment was echoed by the German embassy in Tehran, which posted purple hearts in reply to the original post by the Australian embassy.
According to the brief published by Iran’s foreign ministry, the Australian ambassador was asked to take “appropriate measures to compensate” for the Instagram post. “Such actions by the embassy are inconsistent with international law and the Vienna Diplomatic Convention, which governs diplomatic conduct in respect to the host country's laws and regulations,” McConville was told.
Iran's laws allow individuals to change their gender identity markers on government-issued identification cards after gender-affirming surgery and by court permission. Many Islamic Republic apologists portray the country's "tolerance" of transgenders as an expression of liberalism.
However, the Islamic Republic seems to be exploiting the sex-reassignment surgery (SRS) as a means of purging gays and lesbians from public life, as evidenced in a 2019 report by Economist.
The US Central Command said in a statement that the Saudi-owned Amjad vessel and the Panama-flagged and Greek-operated Blue Lagoon I were hit in an attack but Saudi Arabia later denied the assessment.
However, Saudi’s national shipping company, Bahri, announced on Tuesday that "Amjad was not targeted and sustained no injuries or damage."
The vessel, which was carrying approximately two million barrels of crude oil, remains seemingly fully operational and is continuing its voyage to its planned destination without interruption.
Bahri emphasized that all relevant authorities were promptly informed, and that the company remains in continuous communication with its crew, closely monitoring the evolving situation.
Iran has vocally supported and praised the Houthis, but rejected claims that it has provided them with arms. The Houthis are a designated terror group by countries including the US and UK.
The US Central Command earlier revealed that the Houthis launched the assault using two ballistic missiles and an unmanned aerial vehicle, striking both vessels, calling the move "reckless acts of terrorism by the Houthis."
Although the Houthis claimed responsibility for targeting the Blue Lagoon with missiles and drones, they made no mention of the Amjad.
The Joint Maritime Information Center, responsible for tracking such incidents, reported that three ballistic missiles hit the Blue Lagoon I tanker 70 nautical miles northwest of the Yemeni port of Saleef.
The center "assesses that Blue Lagoon I was targeted due to other vessels within its company structure making recent port calls in Israel," it said in a report.
"All crew on board are safe. The vessel sustained minimal damage but does not require assistance."
Saudi Arabia, the world’s leading oil exporter, has expressed growing concern over the increased frequency of Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea, a maritime corridor for global energy supplies.
The attacks are part of a broader campaign by the Houthis, who have been emboldened by Iran’s support, and have dragged Yemen to become the region's poorest nation after a decade-long war civil war against a Saudi-led coalition.
The recent escalation follows a series of aerial drone and missile strikes by the Houthis, which they claim are in solidarity with Palestinians amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza, in a bid to force Israel into a ceasefire.
The Houthis began targeting maritime commercial traffic in mid-November, following a directive from Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who urged Muslim nations to impose a blockade on Israel.
Initially concentrated in the Red Sea, these attacks have since spread to other vital waterways, including the Indian Ocean, disrupting international shipping and resulting in the capture of dozens of seafarers.
In response to this growing threat to global trade and freedom of navigation, a US-led coalition of over 20 nations has been formed to counter the blockade. It has seen joint attacks by the UK and US on Houthi infrastructure in Yemen.