In wake of the June 12 Iranian presidential elections, Iran's Revolutionary Court is trying its third round of detainees today. Prosecutors read out charges against more than two dozen defendants.Over 1000 people were arrested in the mass protests following the disputed re-election of incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, an election steeped in possible fraud and conspiracy. Protesters, including politicians, journalists, and lawyers, were arrested for allegedly attempting to overthrow the government. This brutal crackdown by the Iranian authorities led to a massive global protest, and has created a lasting instability in the country.
The controversy has continued with emerging torture allegations. Both during and after the chaotic aftermath of the elections, police, prison guards, and the volunteer paramilitary Basij forces have used an alarming scale of force. Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, believes this violence to be coordinated against primarily peaceful protesters. "The number and scale of the abuses by both the police and Basij make it pretty clear that they must have been following orders...Investigation into the abuse needs to go right to the top to find out who gave the orders."
This abuse hasn't stopped after the protesters' arrest. According to Irene Khan, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, “Reports emerging from Iran allege that both men and women detainees have been raped and tortured in other ways, in some cases causing their deaths." Although Ali Larijani, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, maintains that no evidence of torture or rape has been found, the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei earlier ordered the closure of Kahrizak detention center and dismissed several guards and prison chiefs for prisoner abuse. Due to this suspicion of torture, Khan demands an immediate and independent investigation of the Iranian prison system with the help of international experts.
For more information on this story, check out Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and CNN.
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