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Charges over Iran prison deaths | Charges over Iran prison deaths |
(about 5 hours later) | |
Military prosecutors in Iran have charged three officials with killing three people held at a jail after presidential election protests. | Military prosecutors in Iran have charged three officials with killing three people held at a jail after presidential election protests. |
They said the trio died at the Kahrizak detention centre after a series of beatings, Iran's Isna news agency said. | They said the trio died at the Kahrizak detention centre after a series of beatings, Iran's Isna news agency said. |
In total, the prosecutors issued indictments against 12 staff working at the facility south of Tehran. | In total, the prosecutors issued indictments against 12 staff working at the facility south of Tehran. |
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's re-election in June's poll triggered mass protests by opposition supporters. | President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's re-election in June's poll triggered mass protests by opposition supporters. |
The BBC's Tehran correspondent Jon Leyne, who is now in London, says most complaints about the treatment of the opposition have received angry denials from the government, particularly a number of allegations that male and female detainees have been raped by their prison interrogators. | |
It is not clear why the Iranian authorities have made even this small concession, our correspondent says. | |
One reason may be that one of the victims named by the government was a young man from a well connected Iranian family, whose death provoked outrage in ruling circles. | |
The suspicion from the opposition will be that this statement will just be followed by the prosecution of relatively low level officials - whereas many suspect that the maltreatment was ordered from much higher up, our correspondent adds. | |
'Bruises from beatings' | |
Isna quoted a prosecution office statement as naming the three killed as Mohsen Ruholamini, Amir Javadi and Mohammad Kamrani. | Isna quoted a prosecution office statement as naming the three killed as Mohsen Ruholamini, Amir Javadi and Mohammad Kamrani. |
They were among more than 150 demonstrators taken to the centre, south of Tehran, in the aftermath of street protests, Isna added. | They were among more than 150 demonstrators taken to the centre, south of Tehran, in the aftermath of street protests, Isna added. |
Officials had earlier said Ruholamini and Kamrani died of meningitis. | Officials had earlier said Ruholamini and Kamrani died of meningitis. |
"The coroner rejected that these people died of meningitis and confirmed there were bruises on their bodies from beatings and that the cause of death was a series of beatings," the prosecution office's said. | "The coroner rejected that these people died of meningitis and confirmed there were bruises on their bodies from beatings and that the cause of death was a series of beatings," the prosecution office's said. |
Iran's government has said that at least 30 protesters have been killed in clashes since the election, which the opposition has described as rigged. | Iran's government has said that at least 30 protesters have been killed in clashes since the election, which the opposition has described as rigged. |
Some 200 anti-government protesters remain behind bars. At least five people have been sentenced to death, officials say. | Some 200 anti-government protesters remain behind bars. At least five people have been sentenced to death, officials say. |
The three officials charged in the Kahrizak case - whose names were not released - were among 12 officials facing prosecution over the inmates' deaths. | The three officials charged in the Kahrizak case - whose names were not released - were among 12 officials facing prosecution over the inmates' deaths. |
The Kahrizak centre was shut in July, after Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said it had failed to "preserve the rights of detainees". | The Kahrizak centre was shut in July, after Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said it had failed to "preserve the rights of detainees". |
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