The lawyer for the family of deceased blogger Sattar Beheshti reports that the court has rejected the charge of first degree murder and will proceed with the charge of manslaughter regarding the death of the blogger while in custody of cyber police.
Beheshti was arrested by the cyber police in October 2012 for the political opinions he posted on his blogs. He was pronounced dead five days later, and evidence has been presented suggesting he died from beatings and abuse from cyber police officers.
Beheshti’s family has persistently tried to bring charges against those responsible for his death, and although the incident led to the dismissal of the head of the Tehran Cyber Police, the actual judicial proceedings have been delayed over various investigations.
Giti Pourfazel, the lawyer of the Beheshti family, reports that she has not yet accepted the court’s decision and will have to consult her clients before deciding on how to proceed.
She said the family considers first degree murder to be the appropriate charge, adding that the maximum penalty for manslaughter would be the payment of blood money.
