Wed 24 June 2020:
The Romanian public prosecutor issued the autopsy results of fugitive Iranian judge days after falling to his death in Bucharest, saying he died from violence and “it was done in haste.”
Judge Gholamreza Mansouri died Friday after falling out of a window in the Duke Hotel, two weeks after the Iran judiciary accused him of corruption and accepting bribes.
Bucharest prosecutor’s office issued its report announcing that the cause of the death became clear after an autopsy, adding that it was due to a blow by a hard object which did not occur in a natural state.
The report, which was published by Mizan website, also indicated that the prosecutor would begin examining the evidence and surveillance cameras, after obtaining judicial permission.
Mansouri’s family, friends, and lawyer denied reports that he committed suicide after the Romanian police said it was investigating the incident.
The judge was one of the suspects in the largest corruption case in the country accusing senior officials in the Iranian judiciary of accepting bribes and misusing power. He previously denied all charges claiming he had taken more than €500,000 in bribes.
Iran’s deputy head of judiciary Ali Bagheri Kani suggested the Iranian judge might have committed suicide, however, the General Prosecutor Mohammad Jaffar Montazeri ruled out that possibility, saying that the circumstances of the case are “unknown and suspicious.”
On Monday, Montazeri sent a letter to his Romanian counterpart calling for a “serious and urgent” investigation.
Earlier, the Foreign Ministry delivered the letter to the Romanian Ambassador in Tehran, requesting an investigation into the circumstances of the accident and the retrieval of Mansouri’s body to Iran.
Mansouri was accused of being among the clerics who changed several judicial positions in Tehran.
He published a video denying he was on the run and rejecting all corruption accusations. He said he was abroad to receive medical treatment and will be returning to Iran soon.
The autopsy has listed fractures, torn limbs, and internal bleeding as the cause of death.
According to the reports, on the day of the accident, Mansouri met with his appointed police officer and the officer says he showed no alarming signs.
Iranian officials have made different claims about Mansouri’s death, which led to the summoning of Iranian ambassador by the Foreign Ministry of Romania for an explanation.
On June 12, Iranian judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili confirmed that the Interpol had arrested Mansouri in Romania, but he could not be extradited due to the new coronavirus restrictions.
Esmaili indicated Mansouri’s promise to return was not “serious,” which is why Iran notified the Interpol.
It was reported that Mansouri spent 48 hours at the Iranian embassy, and Romanian police arrested him after Iran sent a request to the Interpol.
The Bucharest Court of Appeals said it released Mansouri from prison and placed him under “judicial supervision” for 30 days, noting that the Iranian request is being reviewed and that Mansouri couldn’t leave Romania and ought to appear before court if summoned.
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