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In Iran, Leader vows firm action over jail crimes
[Iran Press TV Latest] With Iran roiled by allegations of mistreatment of post-vote prisoners, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution moves to defuse the controversy, promising that no detainee's rights will be trampled upon. Accusations of prison rape and the violent treatment of detainees have caused uproar inside and outside Iran and have prompted parliament speaker Ali Larijani to assign a special parliamentary committee to investigate the matter. Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei moved to address concerns over the issue, saying that the Islamic establishment will not fall short of expectations in dealing with such crimes and those who commit such acts. The issue was brought to the fore in Iran after defeated presidential candidate Mehdi Karroubi wrote a letter to the influential Head of the Assembly of Experts, Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani, on July 29, claiming that jailers brutally "raped" post-vote protesters in Iran's detention centers. Karroubi has even called for a meeting with the country's top officials -- including the president -- to present evidence of alleged sexual assault against some post-election detainees. In reference to the allegations of jail rape and alleged evidence of the issue, Ayatollah Khamenei said that in dealing with issues of such "great sensitivity" the authorities should not act based on "speculations and rumors". "In issues with such great sensitivity, the Judiciary should judge based on irrefutable evidence; even if there is evidence supporting certain rumors, such evidence cannot be a base for judgment," Ayatollah Khamenei added. The issue of a night-time raid on a Tehran University dormitories was also raised during the meeting between the Leader and university students and scholars. The raid on June 14 was among the controversial incidents of Iran's post-vote frenzy which drew fierce criticism from various political quarters. Acknowledging that crimes have taken place in the university dormitory raid, Ayatollah Khamenei said "a special file has been opened on the matter so that the wrong-doers are punished regardless of their [governmental] posts." The Leader, however, warned against publicizing the matter with political motivation, saying "an order has been imposed since the initial days for careful, determined action on the matter." Posted by: Fred 2009-08-27 |
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