Black and white photo of an older man smiling slightly, holding a pair of eyeglasses. He is posed in front of a bookshelf filled with books.

Siamak Pourzand

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Pourzand, former manager of a cultural center and frequent cultural commentator, passed away after falling from his apartment balcony; though it is unclear whether he jumped or was pushed. He had previously been arrested, disappeared, and held incommunicado for his writing. In 2022, a U.S. federal judge ruled that the Iranian government owed nearly $40 million in damages to his family, citing torture, solitary confinement, and denial of medical care that contributed to his death.