Grotesque
Nov 15th, 2009 by pedestrian
[From Norooz]
Ramin Pourandarzjani was a 26 year old doctor who worked for the Kahrizak detention facility, and who was suicided two days ago. He was working at the facilities in order to complete his mandatory military service.
On Tuesday, he was resting in his dormitory at the Police Headquarters of Tehran and that is where he died. According to official reporters, he died of a heart attack in his sleep.
Ramin was the doctor who had examined some of the post-election victims at Kahrizak, especially a few of those who were reportedly raped. Among others, he was the medical examiner to examine the body of Mohsen Rouholamini, the son of a top IRI official who was killed while in Kahrizak. Norooz reports that Ramin was held in custody for a week after examining Mohsen’s body. Norooz also reports that after his release, he was constantly threatened.
What is even more strange is that while officials claim he died of a stroke, they did not allow an autopsy or an examination. And his funeral was held under very tight security control with very few people able to attend.
Certainly does sound like he was “suicided” – speaking as an Italian i.e. someone with plenty of highly pertinent sinister national experience.
Hey Parvati, thanks so much for the really informative comment. I still can’t believe this guy was suicided. Things keep getting worse by the day, and even though we know they would be, it’s still a shock.
Was suicided ?! should change to “commited suiside “
Giley, use of “suicided” was deliberate.
Sorry Commited Suicide”" Not — was suicided ?
Brilliant web site and I admire your honesty and bravery and such good English. well done .
Thanks so much for visiting – and writing!
Nitpick-correction: he wasn’t “suicided” he was “heart-attacked” in his sleep.
parvati, you’re right. At first they said he was suicided. That’s why I used that instead of “heart-attacked”.
I understand your reason to use it deliberately, BUT the word “suicide “is only used if & when the person commits it, otherwise it is no more called suicide !
Thanks for wonderful articles and all the background information – you are very talented. wish you all the best of success .
Giley, as far as I know, we use “suicided” when higher powers kill someone and make it look like suicide. Urban dictionary has a similar explanation.
Bless his soul – May he rest in Peace NOW !
11. We learn every day – I did not know this Urban Dictionery explanation , thanks pedestrain for letting me know.
Same in Italian current usage : “si è suicidato” (reflexive verb – literal meaning as-per latin roots: “he self-killed himself”) means the person really did commit suicide; “è stato suicidato” (“he was suicided“) means the victim was murdered and the cause of death was masked as suicide.
Although putatively less frequent in the English-speaking world the practice is certainly present there:
Example 1 (US)
Example 2 (UK)
… as attested by inclusion of “suicided” in the anglosphere’s urban dictionary – while awaiting upgrade to officialese?
They can’t murder everyone who’s witnessed or participated in atrocities and is harassed by their conscience.
26 years old, heart attack in his sleep. Very unusual. That said, a fellow tradesman of mine died in his sleep of a heart attack at 29. He had no history of heart ailments, and we were all emphatically told street drugs were not involved in any way.
Still, no autopsy. My dad died of heart failure and he was given an autopsy.
May be a case of wrong time to be working in the wrong place. Wish it weren’t so.
Dear Pedestrian,
thanks for your report.
This brave and incorruptible Iranian citizen and physician
[[if this nearly not existing anywhere, nearly everywhere extinct species of the human race had only a wider geographical distribution, extension or spread,
things on our planet would definitely be better off - anywhere !]],
sacrificed for standing up for truth and veracity – ought to be honoured (internationally) posthumously .
He would have been the one , if not THE and ONLY, MOST IMPORTANT WITNESS in any conceivable inner-Iranian or international legal proceedings [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Court_of_Justice ] against both the responsible state-run institution and the responsible government.
In July 2008, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Luis Moreno-Ocampo, accused the office-holding head of the Sudanese government Omar al-Bashir of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur. The court issued an arrest warrant for Al-Bashir on 4 March 2009 on counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omar_al-Bashir ) .
Independently from the ICJ or ICC, the Spanish judge Baltasar Garzón and his younger colleagues for example issued an international warrant for the arrest of former Chilean president Augusto Pinochet for the alleged deaths and torture of Spanish citizens during his tenure on 10 October 1998. In addition they also indicted the individuals/politicians responsible not only for crimes in Guantánamo, Gaza and Tibet, but also for the genocide in Ruand, for murders in the concentration camp Mauthausen, for the murder of Jesuits in El Salvador, for the murder of the cameraman José Couso by American soldiers in Baghdad (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltasar_Garz%C3%B3n ) .
Thus the fears of some Iranian politicians are not a chimera just dreamt about.
In other words, e.g. the physician who wanted to reanimatge Neda and thus save her life definitely and urgently ought to abstain from visiting his homecountry for some time !
In deep mourning for this exceptional grand young man who was not given the opportunity to live a real life and to experience the chances life offers to such a gifted human being
Yours
German
Pensive Persian, maybe not “everyone” but a whole lot of people.
Pedestrian,
Recalling an earlier discussion that we had… I’m just curious, do you still think that a settlement is possible within the current system?
My opinion, as I said some time ago, is that the point of no return has been long passed.
Heart attack in his sleep? Much like that that nuclear weapons inspector somehow fell to his death in Austria? Difference being that an autopsy was done on the inspector’s body and doctor discovered evidence that would seem to point to a homicide.
This just can’t go on forever, one suspicious death after another really adds up to something.
nbb, it’s not really a matter of a settlement being possible or not – to me, it’s a matter of possibility and opportunity. Right now, I don’t see any viable opposition groups to stand AGAINST the current establishment.
I have my own opinions about a reform movement, but that aside, I don’t see any alternatives at this moment. There may very well be in the next few years, but I don’t see one right now. Maybe it’s in the process of being born …
German, I am still in shock. You’d think I’d get used to this sort of news – but it’s like a real hard punch in the stomach every time.
Lola, one after another. But we had a slew of deaths in the 90s. A lot has changed since the 90s but I just mean it doesn’t necessarily have to add up to something – at least not soon.
Dear Pedestrian,
your country at the time being is [due to their rulers] a dangerous place for people who know too much and (or) adhere to truth and veracity and who place the voice of their conscience above opportunism. The highly relevant testimony, and be it a human being, had to be destroyed.
In particular this mature, noble, serious [expression on that] face of that fine, precious young gentleman [your photograph] ….. !!!!!!
[makes one speechless]
I am certain, that that potential of courage, humanity, noble mindedness and magnanimity, that – reaching your readers through your reports – seems that widespread to a large extent in your country, will definitely change Iran(ian rule) to the better in the foreseeable future!
But – knowing this ! – it is very bitter, always to think/feel in terms of “crying, waiting, hoping” ! [this marvellos Buddy Holly song]
Again – my sincere condolonces for this innocent and noble victim of misguided politics and my utter respect for your compatriots (and for you)
German
Ped have you seen this??
http://tinyurl.com/yz8melo
Dear Pedestrian,
via detours (by “googling” in German: via German-language blogs) I happened to find the video of Ramin Pourandarjani giving a speech at his medical school’s graduation ceremony last year with accompanying English translation of his speech ( http://homylafayette.blogspot.com ). I cannot comment on his speech ! !
[Perhaps You place the video & the English translation on Your blog?]
Ludger Gesigora
Parvati_roma, no! I hadn’t …
German, the translation is provided by Homylafayette, isn’t it?
I get goosebumps listening to it
a bright and shining star