HRANA News Agency – Seyed Jamal Hosseini (Esfandiar Baharmas), one of the founders of Human Rights Activists in Iran, the coordinator and editor of HRANA was found dead in his apartment by his colleagues and Turkish police on August 4th. There were drops of blood on his face, as well as several other places in his home.
We understand that Mr. Hosseini was threatened several times by Iranian security forces while he was living in Turkey as a political refugee. Nevertheless regarding the importance of the issue and that the Turkish authorities have begun their investigations, we will not come to a conclusion until the end of inquiries. The police authorities in Ankara have announced that the investigations may go on for some months. Given that the prosecutor of Nevshehir city in a report on August 5, 2014 has stated that this death is a “suspicious death” and has ordered for comprehensive investigations, we will try to keep in touch with Turkish authorities until the truth of his death becomes clear.
We deny the allegations and scenarios of the Iranian security forces which were published by some websites like “Farjam News” and “Afkar News” today and are an example of spreading lies and far from the truth of the case. These scenarios are written on the bases of some selected and wrong reports and a report of a discredit local website as well as selected parts of an incomplete report of BBC Persian which was totally clarified by us in an interview with them on August 8th.
Mr. Hosseini’s body was delivered to his family after the forensics procedure was finished on August 8th. Although the Iranian embassy was in an abnormal way encouraging them to return the body to Iran and had told that they will help and pay for the legal process and the flight, Mr. Hosseini’s family decided to follow his testament that he had expressed his unwillingness to be returned to Iran unless Iranian people are living in a democracy and their human rights are respected therefore his body will temporarily be buried in Turkey.
His friends, colleagues, family and a number of city authorities will gather for his funeral on Monday, August 11th in Nevshehir city in Turkey.
We salute Mr. Hosseini who played a significant role in the establishment, development and implementation of the activities of HRANA. We understand that his loss will never be compensated however knowing that he passed away while writing his last reports we will follow his path more dedicated by defending human rights until having a society based on humanitarian values in Iran.
Secretariat of the Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRANA)