Iranian authorities claim Kahrizak physician committed suicide

Iranian authorities have finally closed the file of Ramin Pourandarjani, the physician who examined some of the victims of the alleged torture and violence in Kahrizak detention centre. The physician passed away on Tuesday at his retreat in the medical building of Tehran Security Forces and at the time, the cause of his death was announced to be "heart failure during sleep."
 

Reformist websites described his death as suspicious and Commander of Police, Brigadier General Ahmadi Moghaddam confirmed that 26-year-old Pourandarjani was indeed summoned by the police and threatened with imprisonment.

Today Iranian lawmaker, Vali Esmaili told Mehr news agency that in a meeting with security forces and Deputy Interior Minister he was informed that investigations have confirmed that Ramin Pourandarjani had "committed suicide."

Mr. Esmaili claimed that "there is no connection between the suicide of the Kahrizak physician and the post-election events." This claim contradicts Police Commander Ahmadi Moghaddam's remarks concerning Ramin Pourandarjani on Wednesday maintaining that "after being summoned by the judiciary in connection with the Kahrizak investigation, fear of imprisonment had led him to commit suicide."

Ramin Pourandarjani's funeral

Reformist websites have reported that Pourandarjani had told his friends and relatives that he was in fear of his life. Reportedly he had examined Mohsen Ruholamini at Kahrizak and was a witness to the extent of the injuries he had suffered in custody. Mohsen Ruholamini eventually died from the injuries he had supported in Kahrizak.

Norooz website maintains that prior to Ramin Pourandarjani's death, his mother had contacted Mohsen Ruholamini's father to tell him that her son's life was in danger for "having revealed certain truths about the torture and death" of his son.

The same report says that Ramin Pouandarjani's body was sent to his birthplace of Tabriz without permission to carry out an autopsy.
 

Kahrizak detention centre was closed down in the heat of post-election protests when unofficial reports of "murder, torture and rape" of detainees caused widespread public outrage. The death of Mohsen Ruholamini was pivotal in the closure since he was the son of an Islamic Republic official of the conservative camp.

Mowjcamp claims that "knowledgeable sources" in the parliament as well as Pourandarjani's family and friends have informed them that the young physician had met with the special parliamentary committee in charge of investigating the post-election violations of citizen and detainee rights. They maintain that details of "Mohsen Ruholamini's torture" had been reported to the committee in that meeting.

Government officials deny such a meeting ever took place.

Head of the special parliamentary committee announced that there are 100 lawsuits involving the violations against detainees at Kahrizak detention centre and eight people have been charged with violations.

Four months after the establishment of the committee so far no reports have been released regarding its findings.

Suspicions over 'heart attack' death of Iranian doctor who knew too much - TIMES Online Ramin Pourandarjani was a brilliant medical student with a promising future, until he was found dead in a dormitory at Tehran police headquarters last week. He is now the new cause célèbre of the Iranian Opposition, with MPs and Western organisations demanding an investigation into the death of a man who knew too much. The official cause of death for the physician is heart attack but there is evidence that regime officials drove him to suicide or murdered him because he witnessed the brutality used against opposition detainees after the disputed election in June. Dr Pourandarjani, 26, attended a school for gifted children, graduated with distinction from the University of Tabriz and was doing his two-year national service at the Kahrizak detention centre in Tehran during the June protests.