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Iran parliamentary inquiry finds prosecutor responsible for detainee deaths

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] An Iranian parliamentary inquiry has found that Tehran prosecutor Saeed Mortazavi was responsible for the deaths of at least three detainees involved in protests that followed the June 12 presidential election, the conservative Alef website reported Wednesday. The report alleges that Mortazavi, the prosecutor responsible for overseeing the Kahrizak prison, ordered that the prisoners be transferred to Kahrizak, where they were tortured and beaten to death. The Iranian government announced last month that murder charges have been brought against 12 Kahrizak prison officials in connection with the deaths. The Iranian government acknowledged in August that the detainees had been tortured, yet initially claimed that the three men had died from meningitis. The prison coroner later found that the physical abuse was the sole cause of death for all three prisoners. Critics believe that the charges are merely a political move by the Iranian government. The Iranian government has faced significant international scrutiny for its handling of the protests, which included thousands of arrests. Last month, Amnesty International (AI) labeled the human rights violations committed by the Iranian government following the election among the worst of the past 20 years. In September, human rights groups called for the UN General Assembly to appoint a special envoy to investigate allegations of the violations. Alleged human rights abuses of detainees include sexual assault, beatings, and forced confessions.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on January 06, 2010 (boomark / email).