Iran’s president calls for investigation into case of death in custody

DUBAI: Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered an investigation into the death in custody of a defendant in the northern city of Lahijan, state media reported on Thursday.

“Following the tragic incident in Lahijan, the president ordered the interior minister to form a committee to investigate all aspects of this incident and report its results to the cabinet as soon as possible,” the head of government public relations Elias Hazrati said.

Five policemen were arrested by the judiciary in relation to the case, according to the judiciary’s Mizan news agency, which did not reveal the deceased’s name, the charges he was facing, or the date on which he died.

“Following the violation of a citizen’s rights, necessary follow-ups were carried out and defendants related to the case were imprisoned based on a temporary arrest warrant,” Lahijan’s prosecutor, Ebrahim Ansari, said according to Mizan.