Goudarzi’s Friend Commits Suicide After His Release

Behnam Ganji, 22 year old student at Tehran University of Applied Sciences, recently released from Evin prison, ended his life at midnight on September 1st, 2011.

Behnam Ganji, Kouhyar Goudarzi’s friend was arrested by security forces at his home in Tehran on July 31st, 2011 along with Kouhyar and another one of his friends. While Ganji and his other friend were released from prison on August 8th, 2011, Kouhyar Goudarzi remains behind bars. It is worth mentioning that Goudarzi’s mother, Parvin Mokhtareh was also arrested in the city of Kerman on August 1st, 2011.

Although Behnam Ganji had no history of political activism, he was nevertheless transferred to solitary confinement at Evin’s Ward 240 and put under severe psychological pressure to provide false confessions to interrogators – pressure that led to his depression and ultimate suicide. Behnam ended his life at midnight on September 1st, by overdosing on pills.

The late Ganji endured extreme pressure during his time behind bars at Evin’s Ward 240 and 209, with the intention to force him to provide false confessions against his friend Kouhyar Goudarzi. Despite the extreme pressure, Ganji refused to participate. Interrogators had asked Ganji to file a complaint against Goudarzi, but despite the pressure exerted upon him, Ganji refused to comply with such wishes. The interrogator at Evin’s 2nd Branch of the Magistrate Court (Shahid Moghadas) had threatened Ganji and his family demanding that they end their relationship and all communication with Kouhyar Goudarzi.

After one week of solitary confinement at Evin’s ward 240 and several days in a cell at the general ward at Evin’s Ward 209 and having enduring more than 10 interrogations at the hands of the interrogators of the Intelligent Ministry while blindfolded, Ganji was finally released on bail. According to civil rights laws, detaining a citizen in solitary confinement while blindfolded, is considered torture and as such illegal. It goes without saying that it is unclear exactly what happened to Ganji while he was at Evin.

According to his family, since his release from Evin, Ganji, extremely effected by the pressures exerted upon him while in jail, suffered from depression. He reportedly was fearful of being arrested again. It is worth mentioning that Ganji had no history of depression prior to his arrest, detention and interrogation at Evin prison.

After Ganji’s suicide at midnight on Thursday September 1st, security agents and police officers reportedly arrived at the scene, accosting his family members.

Ganji will reportedly be buried at his place of birth, the city of Mashhad. The funeral and burial are to be on Sunday September 4, 2011.

The judicial authorities have yet to confirm Kouhyar Goudarzi’s arrest. Given the arbitrary and illegal detention of his mother Parvin Mokhtareh at Kerman prison and now the suicide by his friend Ganji only weeks after his release from Evin, it goes without saying that there is growing concern over Kouhyar Goudarzi’s fate and what really happened to Ganji and Goudarzi while behind bars.

Source: Banooyesabz