Milad Armoon, Seyed Mohammad-Mehdi Hosseini, Mehdi Imani, and Navid Najaran, four defendants in the so-called “Ekbatan Township” case, remain in indefinite detention for over a year.
These individuals were transferred from Ward 2-A of Evin Prison, which is under the control of IRGC Intelligence, to Qezel Hesar Prison in Karaj in mid-June of this year, after completing the interrogation process. Their case is still in Branch 4 of the Criminal Court Prosecutor’s Office of District 27 in Tehran and has not yet been referred to Branch 13 of the Tehran Criminal Court. According to the defense attorney for one of the defendants, their transfer to the IRGC Intelligence Detention Center was for completing court-requested investigations.
In early November 2022, amid nationwide protests, at least 50 young residents of Ekbatan Township were arrested by security forces for their alleged involvement in an incident that resulted in the death of a Basij member named Arman Aliverdi.
Indictments were issued for 14 of them. In April 2023, the Judiciary spokesman announced charges of “enmity against God (Moharebeh) through the use of cold weapons and actions against national security” for three defendants. According to the issued indictment, these citizens are accused of charges including “assisting in intentional murder,” and “disruption of public order and peace.”
In late September 2023, after four court hearings, the court did not refer their case for further investigations and Branch 13 of the Tehran Criminal Court intervened to expedite the process and determine the status of the defendants. Another part of their case has been referred to Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, presided over by Judge Abolghasem Salavati.
Of the eight defendants, Hossein Nemati, Alireza Barmarz Pournak, Alireza Kafaie, and Amir-Mohammad Khosh-Eghbal were released on bail from Qezel Hesar Prison in February of last year.
Previously, defense attorney Payam Derafshan confirmed that four individuals face the charge of ‘Moharebeh.’
In April of this year, the case was returned to the Prosecutor’s Office for what was described as addressing a “confidential deficiency.”
Below are the details and arrest dates of the defendants in the so-called “Ekbatan Township” case who remain in detention and uncertainty:
- Milad Armoon – aged 25 – Arrest Date: November 2, 2022
- Seyed Mohammad-Mehdi Hosseini – aged 25 – Arrest Date: December 6, 2022
- Mehdi Imani – aged 29 – Arrest Date: December 15, 2022
- Navid Najaran – aged 32 – Arrest Date: Unknown
