Iran’s president has ordered an investigation into the death of a man in custody after activists alleged he was tortured to death by police in the north of the country. The order came from reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian, who was elected last month after he campaigned on a promise to halt such deaths in custody. In 2022, the death of a young woman, Mahsa Amini, for allegedly failing to wear her headscarf correctly, sparked nationwide protests. Activists identified the man as 36-year-old Mohammad Mir Mousavi, a member of the Gilak minority. They warn his death could lead to a flare-up of inter-communal tensions across the country.
