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Iran Court Told Canadian Was Tortured to Death
Iran Court Told Canadian Was Tortured to Death
Sat Jul 17, 9:04 PM ET
By Parisa Hafezi
TEHRAN (Reuters) - Canadian journalist Zahra Kazemi was tortured to death in Iranian custody, her tearful mother told a court Saturday when the trial resumed of an intelligence agent accused of the killing.
"There were burns on my daughter's chest, her fingers and toes and nose were broken ... she was tortured to death," Ezzat Kazemi told the court after a nine-month delay in proceedings.
The case has strained Iran's relations with Canada, prompting Ottawa to withdraw its ambassador this week, and has exposed deep rifts between President Mohammad Khatami's reformist government and the hard-line judiciary.
The intelligence agent, Mohammad Reza Aqdam, has denied a charge of what the court calls the semi-intentional murder of Kazemi, a 54-year-old of Iranian descent who was arrested outside Tehran's Evin prison last July for taking photographs.
The charge, lesser than murder or manslaughter, carries a possible penalty of up to three years in jail and the payment of blood money to the victim's family.
The judiciary initially said Kazemi died of a stroke, but a government inquiry ordered by Khatami showed she received a heavy blow which split her skull, causing a brain hemorrhage. She died in hospital 10 days after lapsing into a coma.
During more than 72 hours in Evin prison, Kazemi was interrogated separately by police, judiciary and Intelligence Ministry officials.
"I have complaints against all of those involved in her arrest and murder," said Ezzat Kazemi, adding she wanted other people brought to justice in the case.
Nobel Peace Prize winner and human rights lawyer Shirin Ebadi, representing Kazemi's family at the trial, accused the judiciary of ignoring evidence pointing to other suspects, including a judiciary official named Mohammad Bakhshi.
"She was hit on the head by Bakhshi shortly after she was arrested," Ebadi told the court.
"After being beaten, she fell and could not walk," said Ebadi, adding: "Why has this not been mentioned in the case?"
Ebadi demanded the case should be sent to a higher court and called for many senior officials, including Intelligence Minister Ali Yunesi, to appear as witnesses.
Tehran's Deputy Prosecutor Jafar Reshadati denied any judiciary involvement in Kazemi's death, but Ebadi and Canadian officials believe the intelligence officer is being used as a scapegoat to protect senior judiciary officials.
In a sign of rifts between the government and judiciary over the case, Khatami and the Intelligence Ministry have suggested the charge against Aqdam is politically motivated.
Khatami, now in his last year in office, has faced constant opposition from powerful hard-liners who have resisted his efforts to improve civil rights and the rule of law.
Canada announced the withdrawal of its ambassador on Wednesday after Tehran rejected Ottawa's request for three Canadian observers at the trial.
The Dutch ambassador to Iran, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, and a British diplomat attended the court hearing.
Canada briefly recalled its ambassador last year when Iran ignored the wishes of Kazemi's son for her body to be returned home for burial. She was buried at her birthplace in south Iran.
"They forced me and threatened me to accept to bury her here. Is this Islam?" Ezzat Kazemi told the court.
The trial continues Sunday.
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