Iranian Cyberpolice Chief Fired Over Blogger’s Death

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(RFE/RL) — Iran’s police have fired the head of their cybercrimes unit over the case of a blogger dying while in police custody.

Iran’s semiofficial Fars news agency said on December 1 that General Kamal Hadianfar was fired due to “failure and lack of sufficient supervision over the performance of personnel under his command.”

The authorities confirmed in November that Iranian blogger Sattar Beheshti, who was reportedly tortured, died while in police custody.

Iranian authorities said Beheshti was detained on October 30 for alleged “cybercrimes” and was taken to Evin prison in northern Tehran the following day.

Beheshti, 35, was handed over to police in the cybercrimes unit for interrogation and died on November 3.

According to Iranian media, police have made seven arrests in connection with Beheshti’s death.

RFE RL

RFE/RL journalists report the news in 21 countries where a free press is banned by the government or not fully established.

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