Iran arrests brother of student killed in protests

Ghaneh Jaleh, brother of Saleh Jaleh, the man killed during Monday’s mass protests in Tehran, was arrested after giving a telephone interview to foreign media about his brother.

Opposition websites report that Islamic Republic authorities arrested Ghaneh Jaleh after he spoke to Voice of America.

Ghaneh Jaleh reportedly told VOA that his brother was not a member of Iran’s state-supported Basij militia, as authorities have claimed, and that the Basij membership card shown on Iranian media is a fake.

The victim’s brother has said his cousin arrived at their home on Tuesday asking for a photo of Saleh Jaleh, and that was the photo used to falsify the Basij card.

Ghaneh Jaleh has also reported that his family is under pressure from authorities, and his brother’s remains have not been surrendered to the family for burial.

Iranian authorities have claimed that Saneh Jaleh’s fatal gunshot was inflicted by protesters. They have described him in state media as a supporter of the government and shown his Basij membership card as proof.

These allegations have been denied by the opposition and his classmates at Tehran Art University, who maintain that he was an active participant in the Green Movement of protest. Opposition websites have published photos of him meeting with the late dissident cleric, Ayatollah Montazeri, to prove his anti-government bent.

Yesterday a pro-government crowd held a funeral for Jaleh near the university. The event turned violent after security police attacked a separate funeral being held at the Art University amphitheatre by students, dozens of whom were arrested.