Andimeshk: Saman Mirdoraghi tortured to death in custody
Hengaw – Wednesday, June 11, 2025
Saman Mirdoraghi, a 29-year-old Lor athlete from Andimeshk in Khuzestan Province, died under torture six days after being arrested and held at the Intelligence Police detention center in Andimeshk.
According to reports received by Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Mirdoraghi died on the evening of Sunday, June 8, 2025, after being subjected to severe torture in custody. He had been detained without charge and was tortured in an effort to extract a forced confession. Visible signs of heavy bruising and physical abuse were apparent on his body. Security forces only released his body to the family on the condition that no photographs be taken or shared, and that the family refrain from speaking to the media.
Informed sources told Hengaw that Hassan Sepahvand, the public prosecutor of Andimeshk and a close associate of Mehran Amirpour, head of the Hosseiniyeh Police Station, played a direct role in Mirdoraghi’s arrest, interrogation, and death.
On the night before his death, Mirdoraghi was subjected to brutal torture by Sepahvand, Amirpour, and an intelligence officer. Methods used included electric shocks, whipping, and physical pressure that impaired his ability to breathe—ultimately leading to his death.
He had been arrested on the evening of Monday, June 2, 2025, when security forces stormed his shop and took him to an undisclosed location. Several others were also arrested in connection with the case.
According to sources close to the family, Mirdoraghi had been accused of firing 16 Kalashnikov rounds at the home of Mehran Amirpour. However, surveillance footage from his shop proves that he was present at work at the time of the incident. Despite this evidence, security forces detained multiple people in relation to the case.
Throughout the six days of his detention, the family was denied any information about his condition. They were not permitted to see him or to secure legal representation.
Mirdoraghi was buried on Tuesday, June 10, in Behesht Zahra Cemetery in Andimeshk, under tight security and with only a limited number of family members and relatives allowed to attend.
A source close to the family told Hengaw that security agencies handed over the body only after the family signed a written pledge not to speak publicly about the case. Tribal elders were also required to sign the pledge. The funeral took place under strict surveillance and was severely restricted.
According to the source, intelligence officers prevented the family from approaching the body. Security forces themselves performed the ritual washing and shrouding. The burial was allowed only in its most basic form, with no photographs or videos permitted.
