Iran claims having arrested five over death of Canadian
journalist in Iran
World News
Jul 26, 2003
TEHRAN - Five people have been arrested in connection with the death in custody of Canadian journalist Zahra Kazemi, the public prosecutor's office announced, student news agency Isna reported.
The prosecutor's office issued a statement, quoted by Insa, which gave no details of the identities of those involved but stating they were being held in custody while the inquiry continues.
Relations between Ottawa and Tehran have been at a low ebb since the death of Iranian-born Kazemi.
She died in hospital on July 11 of a brain hemorrhage due to an unexplained blow on the head received while she was in custody in Tehran following her arrest for taking unauthorised photographs outside Evin prison.
Tehran's handling of the case, including refusing to repatriate her body to Canada, prompted a diplomatic incident which saw Ottawa recall its ambassador.
For the Canadians, there remains little doubt that Kazemi, 54, died following ill treatment during her time in detention.
On July 16, Iranian Vice President Mohammad Ali Abtahi announced that she "had died of a cerebral hemorrhage after being beaten".
But the report of a board of inquiry concluded that the hemorrhage was the result of a fracture of the skull, without saying how it was caused.
Ottawa demanded that those responsible be put on trial and Kazemi's body be repatriated to Canada, where she had lived for the past ten years. It announced it was recalling its ambassador after Kazemi was buried Tuesday in her home town of Shiraz, at the request of her mother, according to Tehran.
The Iranian foreign ministry on Saturday lodged a formal protest with the Canadian embassy over what Tehran calls the "murder" of a young Iranian near Vancouver.
Keyvan Tabesh, 18, was shot dead by a Canadian policeman on July 14 and Iran has demanded that his killer be brought to justice.
Police in Port Moody, just east of Vancouver, said Tabesh had been killed on July 14 after charging at a police officer with a machete following another incident in which he attacked a car.
Iran's foreign minister Kamal Kharazi on Friday dismissed Canada's account of the killing of Tabesh as "incomprehensible" and called for Ottawa to provide a "convincing explanation" of how he died.
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