The Hindu : Journalist's death 'due to blows in detention'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jul 17, 2003

International

International

Journalist's death 'due to blows in detention'

TEHERAN July 16. Iran confirmed on Wednesday that the Iranian-born Canadian journalist, Zahra Kazemi, died of brain haemorrhage due to blows she sustained after her detention.

``She has died of brain haemorrhage resulting from blows inflicted on her,'' the Vice-President, Mohammad Ali Abtahi, told presspersons after a Cabinet meeting. ``We are pursuing details of the matter to see how it happened.''

It was the first time Iran has confirmed that Kazemi, who died on Friday, was beaten. Iran initially said Kazemi, who holds dual Iranian-Canadian nationality, died of a stroke. Her son, Stephan Hachemi, has alleged that she was beaten to death while in custody. ``The incident has no outcome other than tarnishing our international image at a time when we are in deep crisis at home and abroad,'' Mr. Abtahi said.

Kazemi (54), a freelance photographer from Quebec, was arrested in Teheran on June 23 and branded a spy for taking photos of Evin prison during student-led protests against the ruling Islamic establishment. Friends who visited her in the hospital days before she died said she was unconscious, with severe cuts and bruises on her face and head. Reformers have denounced Kazemi's bad treatment by security agents under the control of hard-liners.

After Mr. Abtahi's comments, a government spokesman said possible culprits would be brought to justice. A committee of four Cabinet Ministers formed by the Iranian President, Mohammad Khatami, said on Tuesday it prevented the burial of Kazemi's body before investigations were completed.

Kazemi's son said on Tuesday he wants his mother's body returned to Canada, and a full investigation involving Canadians to determine how she died. ``The only result I will accept is when the body is back in Canada,'' Mr. Hachemi said. But news reports in Iran indicate Kazemi's mother wants the body buried there.

Meanwhile on Wednesday, Mr. Khatami ordered his Ministers of Justice and Intelligence to review their enforcement of judicial and security powers over journalists, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported. The order was issued following the arrests of a number of journalists and students in the past few days.

Issa Saharkhiz, manager of the monthly Aftab, and Hossein Farrokhi, manager of Cinema and Theater Monthly, were taken to jail on Tuesday, the government-run daily Iran reported on Wednesday. The paper said they were arrested after being summoned to the judiciary for questioning. It said they were jailed on press-related charges. Mr. Khatami has said the closure of over 90 newspapers without trial in the past three years and imprisonment of several dozens of writers and activists in mostly closed trials without jury by the hard-line judiciary were open violations of the constitution, but said he was `powerless' to stop them. — AP

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