Kurdish Political Prisoner Peyman Galwani Dies Under Torture by Iranian Security Forces, Hengaw’s comprehensive analysis

Hengaw; Sunday,  July 9th, 2023
 

In a recent development, Peyman Galwani, a Kurdish political prisoner from Mahabad, met a tragic end as a result of torture inflicted by the security forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran occurred 14 days after his arrest and subsequent transfer to the Intelligence Agency's detention center in Urmia.

According to reliable information obtained by Hengaw, Peyman Galwani, aged 24 residing in Mahabad, succumbed to his injuries at Khomeini Hospital on Sunday, 9th of July, 2023. He had been admitted to the hospital after suffering from severe unconsciousness and subsequently falling into a coma.

Confidential sources, interviewed by Hengaw, revealed that Peyman Galwani was transferred from the Urmia Intelligence Agency's detention center to Khomeini Hospital in an unconscious state on Wednesday, July 5th, 2023. The security forces informed Galavani's family that he had “fall from a height” leading to his comatose condition.

Throughout his stay in the hospital, two security officers remained present and denied access to his relatives. Only his sister managed to visit him once, noting the presence of extensive bruising on his body, head, and face.
 

An acquaintance of Galwani stated that he had no preexisting medical condition, and the family firmly believes that his death is solely attributed to the torture inflicted by the security forces.

Presently, following a motion filed by Peyman Galwani's family, his remains have been transferred to the morgue without granting permission for viewing by his loved ones, as the prosecutor's office has declined their request.

Peyman Galwani was brutally apprehended by security forces at his family home in Mahabad on Sunday, 25th of June, 2023. As of now, specific details regarding the grounds of his arrest, potential charges, or legal proceedings remain undisclosed.

According to the information received by Hengaw, Peyman Galwani had a history of activism and membership in the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan, which raises the possibility that his unlawful detention was linked to his affiliations.

The legal team at Hengaw asserts that Galwani's arrest was unlawful from its inception, as stated by his relatives. Of utmost concern is the fact that he was in good physical health at the time of his arrest, with his subsequent death resulting from a severe deterioration of consciousness while in the custody of the security forces. Consequently, the Urmia Intelligence Agency, notorious for its inhumane treatment and consistent employment of torture in its covert detention facilities, bears primary responsibility for the murder of this young man from Mahabad.

Hengaw has consistently advocated for independent investigations by international forensic experts and MSF (madicins sans frontieres) in numerous cases where torture has led to the deaths of Kurdish political prisoners in security detention centers. However, the Iranian government has yet to grant access for such investigations.
 

It is important to note that the investigations conducted by the LMO Iranian Legal Medicine Organization lack credibility due to their lack of independence in this matter.