Report: 5 Suspects Arrested in Iran for Canadian Journalist's Death
VOA News
26 Jul 2003, 21:49 UTC
An Iranian news report says five people have been arrested in connection with the death of a Canadian journalist earlier this month.
A student news agency (ISNA) quoted the public prosecutor's office in Tehran as saying Saturday the five were being held in custody as the investigation into the death of Zahra Kazemi continues. Officials did not disclose the identities of those detained nor any other details related to the case.
Ms. Kazemi, a Canadian photojournalist of Iranian descent, died July 11 in a hospital run by Iran's hardline Revolutionary Guards after spending time in custody. A Iranian government report listed the cause of death as a blow to the head that caused a cerebral hemorrhage. The report did not specify if the blow was deliberate nor who delivered it.
The 54-year-old photographer had been arrested for taking pictures outside a Tehran prison (Evin) during last month's student-led protests.
Canada has recalled its ambassador to Iran over Tehran's decision to bury Ms. Kazemi instead of returning the body to Canada, as her family had requested. Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham said his government is considering trade sanctions against Iran as a means of retrieving the body.
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