The father of Amir Hossein Moradi, a political prisoner who has been sentenced to death for participating in November 2019 protests, committed suicide, according to the state media.
The state-run ROKNA News Agency reported that Mohammad Moradi, the 60-year-old father of jailed protester Amir Hossein Moradi, died this morning in his home. The report said that he hanged himself in his basement.
Emteded, a “reformist” Telegram channel that operates from Iran reported that Amir Hossein Moradi’s mother found the lifeless body of her husband in the basement of their home today. The report added, “Since this morning security agents are present in the house and several reporters from the state broadcaster are in the courtyard.”
According to Mehdi Mahmoudian, a “reformist” journalist, they came to the house to extract “forced confessions” from the Moradi family.
Amir Hossein Moradi’s lawyer, Babak Paknia also confirmed the report.
Amir Hossein Moradi’s mother said that Mohammad Moradi was under severe pressure due to his son’s death sentence and that until his death, he constantly talked about his son and was extremely concerned about Amir Hossein.
In one of his recent Instagram posts, Mohammad Moradi wrote: “Amir Hossein, my helping hand, I’ve been missed you immeasurably. May God help us to survive in your absence. Come home my son. Your dad can no longer tolerate this situation.”
Emtedad also said that the Moradi family has been under “mental pressure” and that the family was kept in a state of limbo about the death sentence of their son.
Intelligence Agency summoned Amir Hossein Moradi’s mother and brother after Mohammad’s death, threatening them to keep silent. They were told that they would be arrested if they talked to the press.
Amir Hossein Moradi was arrested for taking part in November 2019 protests that erupted across the country after the regime tripled the price of gasoline overnight.
In February, Amir Hossein and two other protesters, Saeed Tamjidi and Mohammad Rajabi were sentenced to death by the Tehran Revolutionary Court.
Notorious judge Abolghassem Salavati issued the death sentences against the three men Amir Hossein Moradi, Saeed Tamjidi and Mohammad Rajabi.
The 26-year-old political prisoner was arrested on 19 November 2019 and held for a week in a Ministry of Intelligence detention centre in Tehran, before being transferred to Evin Prison for a month.
He was held in prolonged solitary confinement and interrogated without a lawyer present.
He said that he was subjected to electric shocks during interrogations and told that if he did not cooperate, his stay in solitary would be prolonged. He also said that an agent stood on his chest, damaging his rib cage.
He said he only “confessed” after his interrogators promised to provide him with medical treatment for the injuries he sustained during torture. He was later refused the medical treatment they promised him.
After the Judiciary confirmed the death sentences of the three young men in June, Iranians took to social media channels with the Farsi hashtag اعدام نکنید, or “Do Not Execute”, tweeting the hashtag more than 10 million times. US President Donald Trump also used the hashtag in a tweet to support the death row protesters.
Due to international protests, the lawyers of the three men announced that the Supreme Court had agreed to review the death sentences.
