Iran’s police force has taken action by dismissing the commander of a city in the northern Gilan province following the death of a detainee in custody, state media reported on Saturday.
Mohammad Mir Mousavi, 36, was arrested on July 22 after being involved in an altercation in Lahijan, according to a police statement shared by the official news agency IRNA.
“The police commander has been removed from duty due to a lack of proper oversight of staff conduct,” the statement said.
The police noted that the final conclusion regarding the cause of Mir Mousavi’s death would be determined by the medical examiner’s report.
The station commander and several officers connected to the incident have been suspended.
“Certain actions by law enforcement officers violated professional police standards, and this is entirely unacceptable. These individuals have been referred to judicial authorities,” the statement added.
The Norway-based Kurdish human rights organization, Hengaw, reported on Wednesday that Mir Mousavi “was killed under torture in the detention center.”
On Thursday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called for an investigation into the incident.
Such dismissals within Iran’s security forces are uncommon.
In 2022, the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman, while in custody after being arrested in Tehran for allegedly violating the country’s strict dress code for women, triggered months of widespread and deadly protests across the nation.
