Iran court told Canadian was fatally beat to death

Zahra Kazemi, an Iranian-Canadian photo journalist, was fatally beat to death in her detention in the Iranian prison, her tearful mother told a court on Saturday when the court resumed the trial.

"There were burns on my daughter's chest, her fingers and toes and nose were broken," Kazemi's mother told the court.

Kazemi, a 54-year-old of Iranian descent, was arrested for taking photos of a prison protest in Tehran in July 2003 and died shortly at an Iranian hospital.

The Iranian authorities claimed that Kazemi had died of a stroke at the beginning. Later, it was found that Kazemi died of a brain hemorrhage caused by a heavy blow to the head.

Mohammad Reza Aghdam Ahmadi, an Iranian intelligence agent, who was charged with causing Kazemi's death, pleaded innocent on Saturday to what the Iranian judiciary calls "semi-premeditated murder."

This case has strongly impaired Iranian-Canadian diplomatic relationship. Canada's Foreign Minister Bill Graham has announced to withdraw its ambassador to Iran.