According to information received by the Hana Human Rights Organization, 65 days after Seyed Ahmad Esmaeili, a citizen from Mahabad, was killed following an action by IRGC forces, his body has still not been returned to his family. The responsible authorities have also provided no clear explanation regarding the whereabouts of his body or the reason for withholding it.
A source informed Hana that during this period, Seyed Ahmad Esmaeili’s family repeatedly approached various authorities seeking to determine the whereabouts of his body and have it returned. They were initially referred to relevant authorities in Bukan and Khoy, and then to Salmas and Orumiyeh, before returning once again to the prosecutor’s office in Mahabad. The Mahabad prosecutor’s office subsequently provided the family with a letter addressed to the Public Security Department.
Despite these efforts, officials at the Public Security Department referred the family to the IRGC for further follow-up. The family’s subsequent inquiries with the IRGC have so far yielded no clear information regarding the whereabouts of the body, the reason for withholding it, or when it will be returned.
The prolonged failure to provide information about the whereabouts of the body and the denial of the family’s ability to recover and bury their relative have serious humanitarian and psychological consequences. They also raise concerns regarding the family’s right to know the fate and whereabouts of their relative’s remains and the obligation to respect the dignity of the deceased and their family. The responsible authorities must provide clear and reliable information regarding the location of the body, and any restriction on its release must have a clear legal basis and be subject to review.
Hana emphasizes that repeatedly referring the family between different authorities, without identifying a responsible body or providing an effective response, cannot substitute for legal accountability. After 65 days, Seyed Ahmad Esmaeili’s family remains deprived of even basic information about their son’s remains, while no responsible institution has provided a clear account or an answer that can be independently assessed.