Mohammad Salas

Mohammad Salas (Mohammad Reza Salas Babajani) was arrested during the clashes between the security forces and dervishes on the 7th Golestan on Pasdaran street. He is accused of being the bus driver who has run over and killed three police officers

<coverage-outsourcing id='22978'> According to the published proceedings on Mohammad Salas’s file, he was arrested in 2004 and 2006 in Borujerd and Qom respectively. It is likely that these arrests had to do with security forces’ raids on Dervish congregation centres </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='21233'> After setting up a checkpoint near the house of the head of Gonabadi dervishes, Nour Ali Tabandeh, a group of Dervishes from across Iran came to Tehran to protect him and gathered in front of his home. This part of Tehran was a scene of clashes between security forces of the Islamic Republic and the Gonabadi Dervishes for several days. Eventually, security officials failed to arrest Nour Ali Tabandeh, but they would sporadically arrest other dervishes </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='22354'> Mohammad Salas, who was being kept at the Tehran Police Detention centre during the initial days, and was transferred to the hospital several times during this period, was eventually transferred to solitary confinement in Rajayi Shahr prison </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='21234'> Security officials arrested two Gonabadi dervishes. Nematollah Riahi went to the police station to follow up on their situation, but he himself was arrested there as well. The other Gonabadi dervishes managed to free two arrested dervishes, but Nematollah Riahi remained in detention </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='21235'> Mohammad Salas was arrested. Mohammad Sharifi Moghaddam, who was arrested a while later, said in a video message that the security officers minced (blew extremely violently) Mohammad Salas and took him. In subsequent reports, it got clear that Mr. Salas is accused of running over three policemen by bus and killing them. Several films from the scene of the bus crash with law enforcement officers were published on social networks. Shortly after, a film of him on the hospital bed was published. Mr. Salas says in the film that he accepts that he was the bus driver </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='21232'> After the arrest of Nematollah Riahi, a group of Gonabadi dervishes gathered in protest of his arrest in front of the police station 102 at Pasdaran street in Tehran and demanded his release. After a clash between the security forces and the Gonabadi dervishes, the area of unrest increased, and once again the Golestan 7th street turned into a battleground between Gonabadi dervishes and security guards. On this day and in the following days, a large number of dervishes were arrested. It is estimated that the number of arrestees is between 300 and 500 people. A number of Basiji and police officers were also killed in the clashes </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='21237'> According to Fars News Agency, the head of Tehran police, Hossein Rahimi, expressed hope that the bus driver would be executed by the end of the year, in coordination with the judiciary to heal the victims' families. These remarks were later criticized by the head of the Tehran penal court. He said: > Some do not either have legal information, or they suspect that it is possible to issue a sentence without due process whereas failure to comply with the procedure of justice is a defect </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='21236'> The first hearing on charges of "three crimes of murder" and "disturbing public order" for Mohammad Reza Salas was held at Branch 9 of the first Penal Court of Tehran province, chaired by Judge Mohammadi Kashkouli. Mr. Shahriari, as the prosecutor's representative, read out the indictment. During the defense of Mohammad Salas, the live broadcast of the court was suddenly interrupted. Mr. Salas said in court that he would sleep at nights in the bus with about 30 others, he is not the owner of the bus, he was a member of dervishes community for a while, but he was not a dervish, and he had suddenly lost control because of the blows from the police. Fars News Agency published his statements in this way: > I do not accept any allegations. The police must establish order, not blow those who say the name of Allah with their batons. When I got the first blow, I got nervous. I, myself, have children and these people make no difference with my kids. But police is at blame due to not training them not to attack us </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='21303'> The Center for Human Rights in Iran wrote that the representative of the prosecutor called the attacks of the bus, Samand and Peugeot Persia on security officers which took place on the same day "indicating the systematic offensive against the agents" and that he finds Mr. Salas being a dervish as another crime which will be addressed in the related court. The judge also said that Mohammad Salas was not able to assign a lawyer in the first trial because of his financial situation, and therefore he was assigned a public defender. But at the second session of the court, his own assigned lawyer was present. This lawyer has requested to postpone the trial because he hasn't been able to study the case. Farhad Nouri, a dervishes' rights activist has said about Mr. Salas's lawyer that: > I am confident that, until his first trial, he could not choose a lawyer and they had assigned a public defender for him </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='21369'> According to ISNA, in the third session of the court, two law enforcement officers testified that the bus was initially coming towards the officers at a low speed and, after crossing several of them, speeded up and clashed with several officers. After this, Mohammad Salas was placed in the position and said he did not intend to run over the officers, but wanted to park the bus in front of the police station so that the officers could see that no one was inside it, but because his head and hand were broken and he was worried that they would enter the bus and beat him up again, he speeded up. He emphasized that he has a weak vision and had not seen the officers. The official news agency reported that the judge had asked him why his statements differed from previous hearings and that "they have not beaten you at that point." It seems that these news agencies have removed some of Salas's remarks regarding possible beatings or torture. According to these reports, in response to the judge's questions, he said: > I just wanted to rid of everything and be executed." He also did not accept the charge of "disturbing public order at this hearing </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='21370'> Mohammad Salas was sentenced at the 9th branch of the Tehran Criminal Court presided by Judge Mohammad Reza Mohammadi Kashkooli and advisors Gholam Reza Maleki and Ebrahim Abbasi, was given three death sentences for the charge of “three counts of premeditated murder” and one year imprisonment and 74 floggings for the charge of “disturbing public peace and order”. The court failed to consider Mohammad Salas’s insistence that his confessions were obtained due to torture and being put on medication. Furthermore, the court did not accept his statements as to the deaths being involuntary, and paid no heed to his assertions as to his arrest having taken place prior to the bus incident in question. A copy of the relevant proceedings has been attached to the evidence section of this page </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='22355'> Mohammad Salas states in the appeal bill that he was not the bus driver and that he was arrested during the initial gatherings in front of the police station. He was severely tortured and was under the influence of tranquilizers upon regaining consciousness, which is when he signed the interrogator’s papers in regards to his acceptance of the murder charge. He emphasizes that there are no witnesses or footage to confirm his presence at the mentioned bus. He states that after the first court session and quashing of his murder charge, he was tortured in such a way that many of his fingers were broken, as a result which he ended up accepting the murder charge at his second court session. His lawyer, Zeynab Taheri, has furthermore stated that Mohammad Salas, was arrested at at 2:30 pm, whereas the killing of the police officers for which he’s charged took place several hours subsequent to his arrest. In addition, he had no access to legal representation following his initial arrest. The lawyer also noted that the bus which went over pedestrians, was a Mercedez Benz produced in Iran,footage of which is available in the media, whereas the bus that Mohammad Salas was in charge of riding was a Scania produced in Iran, and lacked seats. The lawyer inquires as to why proper legal procedure has not been followed in getting fingerprint samples from the bus in question. This statement has been published in the evidence section of this page. </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='22977'> Mohammad Salas’s preliminary sentence of death, floggings, and imprisonment was confirmed by the 39th branch of the Supreme Court, presided by Azizollah Razaghi, with the presence of Mahmoud Hatami as the deputy judge. This branch of the court failed to consider Salas’s statements as to his confessions being derived under torture and while on medication. Furthermore, the court did not accept the assertion that the deaths were involuntary, and failed to consider his subsequent assertions as to his arrest having taken place prior to the bus incident in question. A copy of the relevant proceedings has been attached to the evidence portion of this page. </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='21773'> The head of the Tehran justice department said to Mizan news agency that Mohammad Salad's verdict was confirmed at Branch 39 of the Supreme Court. Earlier, Branch 9 of the Tehran Criminal Court sentenced Mr. Salas to three executions on charges of "killing Mohammad Ali Bayrami, Reza Emami and Reza Moradi" and sentenced to one year in prison and 74 lashes for "disrupting public order" </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='21843'> Herana reported that he is imprisoned in the quarantine ward of Rajayi Shahr prison in Karaj, and he is mistreated by the guards </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='22060'> His lawyer, Zeynab Taheri stated on Twitter that she was able to meet Mohammad Salas today at Rajayi Shahr prison in Karaj. He continues to be detained in solitary confinement, and lacks access to necessary medical treatment. Ms. Taheri has “complete faith and certainty” in her client’s innocence. Mohammad Salas was arrested at 2 pm on the day of the incident, even though according to the Prosecutor, the bus accident did not take place until 6:30 pm that day. “Due to repeated baton blows and physical torture, Mohammad Salas has lost his sense of sight and is virtually blind”. “His head has been fractured in 17 places” and “his sense of hearing has been compromised” </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='22697'> It was reported that the 35th branch of the Supreme Court was determined for reviewing his case </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='22901'> Iran's Supreme Court rejected his request for a retrial </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='22972'> He was executed </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='22973'> The Organization for Human Rights in Iran has published a report chronicling the last moments of his life. A picture showing part of this report has been attached to the evidence section of this page </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='23082'> Ali Khamenei, in meeting with the head of the Judiciary and a number of judges stated that: “propaganda against the Judiciary has gone so far as for a ruthless killer of two youth protecting general security to be depicted as innocent, even though he was given a full and fair trial and sentenced accordingly. Meanwhile, the judiciary, a merciful entity standing up for victims’ rights, is depicted as vile and tyrannical” </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='23722'> According to Majzooban Noor, his grave had been destroyed for the fifth time by unknown people </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='25560'> Dangerous prisoners in a financial ward attacked dervishes on the commemoration of Mohammad Salas and injured Mostafa Abdi and Reza Sigarchi </coverage-outsourcing>
<coverage-outsourcing id='30580'> <reference source='https://bit.ly/3dWz1Qs'> A trial was held for him two years after his execution. The trial is being held on complaints of seven people injured in the conflict of Golestan 7. After the execution of Mr. Salas, the order for suspension of the prosecution was issued. According to the attorney Zeinab Taheri, Salas' family is not able to provide blood money, and it will be paid from the treasury </reference> </coverage-outsourcing>