Iranian Security Forces Arrest Relative of Executed Protester

Iranian security forces have arrested Amir Hossein Haghjooyan, a relative of Reza Rasaei, an executed protester from Kermanshah province.

Haghjooyan was reportedly detained by members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Intelligence in Sahneh and taken to an undisclosed location. The reasons for his arrest and potential charges remain unclear.

Reza Rasaei was arrested during the 2022 nationwide protests in Iran and was executed on August 6, 2023, in Dizelabad Prison. His family was not given prior notice or allowed a final meeting.

Rasaei was sentenced to death for the alleged murder of Nader Bairami, the IRGC's intelligence chief in Sahneh City.

However, human rights organizations have expressed concerns about the case, alleging that the verdict was issued under pressure from the head of the judiciary despite a lack of evidence to support the charges.

Rasaei's conviction was based on confessions that are believed to have been obtained through torture and fabrication over several months. No concrete evidence has been presented to substantiate the charges against him.