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Iran releases 140 detained in post-election violence

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

[JURIST] An Iranian official announced Tuesday the release of approximately 140 people detained during violent protests following the controversial reelection of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Human Rights Watch has reported that some arrested protesters were beaten, deprived of sleep, and threatened with torture in an effort to force false confessions. An official for the country's judiciary has also said that it plans to decide soon whether to release or try approximately 500 detainees that remain in prison after being arrested during the protests. On Monday, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ordered the closure of the country's Kahrizak prison, in the wake of reported abuses and deaths at the prison. Earlier this month, opposition leaders called for the release of those detained for their alleged involvement in the protests. Also this month, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran (ICHRI) reported that the number of deaths that occurred at the protests exceeded government reports. Human rights groups have viewed the arrests as political repression, saying that Iranian forces are using the protests to "engage in what appears to be a major purge of reform-oriented individuals." Despite the controversy, the country's Guardian Council of the Constitution recently certified the contested results, officially sanctioning the re-election of Ahmadinejad.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on July 28, 2009 (boomark / email).