Baluchi prisoner dies in suspicious circumstances in Orumieh prison

HRANA News Agency – Ali Narouee was found dead in Orumieh prison, West Azerbaijan province of Iran, on 20 February 2014.

According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), His body was covered in multiple bruises and showed signs of torture. Iranian officials claimed that he died of ‘natural causes’.

His brother, Seddigh Narouee, told the HRANA’s reporter, “Evidence of torture and bruising was seen on my brothers dead body. A few days before his death, our family tried His brother, Seddigh Narouee, told the HRA News Agency, “evidence of torture and bruising was seen on my brothers dead body. A few days before his death, our family tried to visit him, however they were not able to meet him.”

Ali Narouee was arrested in 2005, when he was just 16 years old, after travelling to Pakistan the previous year to meet Seddigh. “His only crime is that he was related to me,” Seddigh said.

According to reports, he was subjected to severe torture in the Ministry of Intelligence in Zahedan, and suffered multiple injuries including a fractured nose and jaw. He did not receive adequate medical treatment for his injuries.

“My brother did not have a lawyer in court, and we could not financially afford to get a lawyer,” Seddigh said.

Ali was sentenced to 18 years imprisonment to be served in exile in Tabriz Central prison, but during a protest of prisoners at Zahedan prison he was instead deported to Orumieh prison to serve his sentence in exile.