Kahrizak physician died from "drug poisoning"

Dr. Ramin Pourandarjani

Tehran Prosecutor, Abbas Jafari Dowlatabadi announced today that investigation into the death of Ramin Pourandarjani, physician at Kahrizak Detention Centre where allegedly post-election detainees were tortured and killed, so far has revealed that he died from “drug poisoning.”

In the sidelines of a judiciary ceremony, Mr. Dowlatabadi told reporters: “Certain pills were found beside his (Pourandarjani’s) salad, which to this point indicate that death was caused by drug poisoning.”

Earlier announcement from Iranian authorities maintained that Pourandarjani had died from “heart failure during sleep.”

ILNA reports that the Prosecutor announced that investigations concerning the death in still in progress and the restaurant delivery person who served his food that day has been called in for questioning.

Ramin Pouandarjani was a physician who was serving his obligatory military service duty. As a part of his duties, he visited Kahrizak, a detention centre which became notorious in the post-election events when reports of election detainees being tortured and raped reached the public.

The centre was closed down by the order of the Supreme Leader in the heat of the protests when one of the detainees, Mohsen Ruholamini died from injuries sustained while in custody. Reportedly Ramin Pourandarjani had examined Ruholamini a short while prior to his death.

Chief of police had announced that Pourandarjani had been sentenced to five years in prison for “negligence of his medical duties.”

Reformist websites also maintain that Pourandarjani had informed his family and friends that his life was in danger. Mowjcamp even reports that Pourandarjani had informed the Parliamentary Probe Committee about the alleged tortures and deaths in Kahrizak. The Committee denies receiving such a report from Pourandarjani.

Iranian Police claim the violations committed by officials at Kahrizak were done arbitrarily and the perpetrators have been fired and remanded to custody for prosecution.