MORTAZAVI TO LEAD INVESTIGATIONS ON Ms. ZAHRA KAZEMI’S DEATH
TEHRAN 22 July (IPS) Adding insult to injuries, the Head of the Iranian Judiciary Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi appointed Tuesday the Tehran prosecutor, the notorious Judge Sa’id Mortazavi, considered by many as one of those responsible for the tragic death of the Iranian-Canadian photojournalist Zahra Kazemi, to deal with those involved in her death "according to the laws and as soon as possible".
A four-ministers investigations committee formed by President Mohammad Khatami confirmed that the death of the 54 years-old Ms. Kazemi was caused by "brain haemorrhage, due to strike on the head".
They also confirmed that the Tehran prosecutor was personally present during her interrogations, but they did not name Mr. Mortazavi, a protégé of both Ayatollah Shahroudi and Ayatollah Ali Khameneh'i, the leader of the Islamic Republic, nor any other interrogators and did not explain how a hard object had hit her head.
In their report, the ministers said that the photographer, who was detained while taking pictures in the restricted area of the Evin prison, had also an "aggressive, provocative and unnatural attitude" during interrogations.
Jurists and experts said on Tuesday that it was illogic, though not illegal, to appoint a man who was involved in the case to carry investigations and bring to justice those who possibly caused the death.
Judge Mortazavi had ordered the arrest of Ms Kazemi on 23 June while she was taking pictures of families of people detained during the last month’s students-led anti-regime protest movement demonstrating in front of the prison, charging her of espionage.
The French leftist daily "Liberation" had reported last week that Mr. Mortazavi had hit Ms. Kazemi on the head with his shoe and a reformist lawmaker had also accused the Judge as being one of those responsible for the death.
Meanwhile, the official news agency IRNA said on Tuesday that Mother of Ms. Kazemi wants the body of her daughter buried in her hometown of Shiraz.
"In order to prevent any misuse of the tragic incident, I want my beloved daughter's body buried in Shiraz", IRNA said quoting a facsimile sent by her to the agency.
The decision surprised everyone, as Mrs. Ezzat Kazemi had on Saturday signed an official document at the Canadian Embassy in Tehran and in the presence of the Canadian ambassador, agreeing with her grandson, Stephen Hachemi to transfer the body to Canada.
Dr. Karim Lahiji, a Paris-based lawyer who acts as defence for the 26 years-old Hachemi had read the text of the document to the Persian services of the BBC and Radio France International.
Welcoming her grandmother’s decision, Mr. Hachemi had urged the Iranian authorities to speed up procedures related to the transfer of the body to Canada and called for an independent committee formed by independent lawyers, jurists and medical doctors to go to Iran investigating the death of her mother.
Iranian authorities had refused to transfer the body to Canada for autopsy on the basis that Ms. Kazemi was an Iranian citizen.
Sources in Tehran, once told about the Mrs. Ezzat’s surprising twist, said immediately that she might have changed her mind under pressures and threats from Mr. Mortazavi, as an autopsy by Canadian doctors and forensic would certainly lead to the exact cause of the death. ENDS JOURNALIST DIES 22703