Prominent Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh has called for a UN fact-finding committee to investigate the death of Khosrow Alikordi, an attorney known for representing political prisoners and activists.
Alikordi, a former political prisoner and outspoken critic of the Islamic republic, was found dead in his office on December 5 in the northeastern city of Mashhad. He was 46.
His death has officially been ruled a "heart attack," with local officials ruling out "unnatural causes" for his death.
But many lawyers and activists have described his death as "suspicious," with some calling it outright "murder." Rights groups, including the Norway-based Iran Human Rights and the International Organization to Preserve Human Rights, have called for an independent inquiry into Alikordi's death.
Speaking to RFE/RL's Radio Farda, Sotoudeh said Alikordi was "an honorable lawyer who was under extreme legal and security pressure for nearly two decades."
Sotoudeh said authorities "had done to him everything you could do to a critic" -- from imprisonment to blocking him from practicing law. She added that Alikordi was acutely aware of the threats against him, which is why he had installed 16 cameras in his office. Those cameras have since been confiscated, she added.
"There are ample grounds to doubt the coroner's report," Sotoudeh argued. "A UN fact-finding mission has the legal authority to press Iran for answers."
Alikordi’s funeral in Sabzevar took place under tight security, attended by families of other activists seeking justice.
His death has also prompted an outpouring of tributes from fellow lawyers.
Reza Shafakhah, an attorney, wrote on social media that Alikordi defended his clients "to the very end," adding, "Injustice only stops when the oppressed refuse to tolerate it anymore. Alikordi had long since stopped tolerating injustice; he threw caution aside and went all the way, even at the cost of his life."
Fellow lawyer Babak Paknia shared a screenshot of a conversation with Alikordi, noting that even after his release from prison, he "never stopped fighting for people's rights."
Nobel Peace Prize laureates Narges Mohammadi and Shirin Ebadi also paid tribute to Alikordi.
Mohammadi said Alikordi "dreamed of peace and human rights," adding that his final message, repeated often, was not to let political prisoners -- especially those in remote cities -- be forgotten.
Ebadi praised Alikordi for standing alongside families of political prisoners and civil activists, calling him "the voice of forgotten and silenced prisoners whose names were never mentioned in the media."
