An Iranian lawyer who reported on the torture of his client by security agents has been charged for saying so publicly.
The activist HRANA news agency reported on January 8 that Ali Sharifzadeh Ardakani was released on bail after being summoned to a court in Karaj to hear the charges against him.
HRANA quoted an informed source as saying the Karaj prosecutor's complaint against the lawyer is because he said his client, Mohammad Hosseini, was tortured until he confessed to playing a part in the murder of a security officer.
Mohammad Hosseini was arrested for his part in nationwide protests triggered by the death while in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. Hosseini was hanged in prison on January 7 on charges of "waging war against God."
Ardakani said in a tweet on December 18 that during a meeting Mohammad Hosseini told him he had been tied up and tortured by agents to secure a confession that he played a role in the killing of Ruhollah Ajamian, who was part of the Basij, a volunteer militia under the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).
"He was tortured with his eyes closed and his hands and feet tied. They kicked his head until he was unconscious and they injured different parts of his body with an iron rod and an electroshock weapon," Ardakani said.
The case against Hosseini was rushed through three hearings within six days before the death sentence was handed down.
Human rights organizations have condemned the death sentences of protesters in Iran after what they have termed "sham trials" that were held via three hearings over six days.
Among those sentenced to death in the same case was Hamid Qarahasanlou, a doctor whose brother has said officers severely tortured his sibling and sister-in-law while in custody.
Last week, the Supreme Court's public relations director announced on Twitter that based on the court's decision, the death sentences for Hamid Qarahasanlou, Hossein Mohammadi, and Reza Aria were being revoked due to a flaw in the investigation.
However, the court rejected appeals by Mohammad Mahdi Karmi and Seyed Mohammad Hosseini, confirming their death sentences stemming from the same incident. Both were hanged in prison on January 7.
The activist HRANA news agency said that, as of January 2, at least 516 people had been killed during the unrest, including 70 minors, as security forces try to stifle widespread dissent.
The Oslo-based Iran Human Rights Organization says the number of executions in Iran exceeded 500 last year.