Iranian court reopens Kazemi case

BBC NEWS | Middle East | Iranian court reopens Kazemi case

Iranian court reopens Kazemi case

Zahra Kazemi died in a hospital in Tehran in July 2003 Iran's Supreme Court has ordered a new investigation into the death of the Iranian-Canadian photojournalist, Zahra Kazemi, while in custody in 2003. Judiciary spokesman Ali Reza Jamshidi said the court had objected to the acquittal in 2004 of an intelligence agent accused of beating her to death. He said judges had "found some formal flaws" in previous investigations. Kazemi, 54, died in Tehran in July 2003 having received head injuries during more than three days of interrogation. She was arrested on 23 June 2003 while taking photographs outside Evin prison in the north of the capital, but was never formally charged with any offence. The case severely strained relations between the Canadian and Iranian governments.