Mr. Kazemeini-Boroujerdi threatened with torture and being transferred to IRGC ward

On Tuesday, July 1st a fire broke out in the Special Clerical ward of Evin Prison, where Mr. Kazemeini-Boroujerdi is detained. Two days later, on Thursday, he was visited by agents of the regime; Mohammad Movahedi and Morteza Bakhtiari who appeared at Mr. Kazemeini-Boroujerdi’s cell demanded that he cease his opposition to the regime and told him that he must participate in a television interview where he openly supports the regime and apologizes to the Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei. He was also told that he must sign an affidavit agreeing not to meet with anyone or have any contact with supporters. The agents said that if he agrees to said conditions, he would be released from prison. But when they were confronted with Mr. Boroujerdi’s refusal, they threatened his life and began to give him ultimatums.

 The agents expressed their anger that the news of the fire in the ward had been published.

Movahedi, who is also a judge then began accusing Mr. Boroujerdi with being Mohareb (Combatant against God) and shouted insults and invective at him for sending reports to “anti-regime” news sites. He said: “You are an embarrassment to the regime, you who wears the holy frock are a heretic and have colluded with foreigners.”  He then told Mr. Boroujerdi that if he continues his opposition to the regime, that he will be transferred to solitary confinement in the IRGC ward where he would be tortured and physically ‘eliminated’.

Mr. Boroujerdi responded by saying: “Those people whom you call ‘foreigners’ and heretics, even if they have no beliefs, they do have conscience and humanity, and do not commit your crimes. You who pretend to be committed to Islam, in Islamic clothing, commit heinous crimes in the name of the Prophet. Do not try to threaten me with torture and death, because if you destroy me, people inside and outside Iran will continue to plague you and you will pay dearly for your actions.”

Then Movahedi and Bakhtiari mocked the statements and article written by Mr. Boroujerdi in prison and said: “You who are a heretic, how dare you touch Islamic texts and Hadith?” Mr. Boroujerdi replied: “My writing is all documentation and in the future, people will judge between me and you lot.”

Mr. Kazemeini-Boroujerdi is now serving his eighth year of his eleven year sentence, in prison. He continues to be threatened and pressured, though he has stood his ground and has refused to give into the regime’s demands.  

Movahedi, who had previously served as a prosecutor at the Special Clerical Tribunal, is now a judge. Bakhtiari is the former Minister of Justice, serves as a Special Clerical Tribunal official.

Translated and edited by: Banafsheh Zand