Amnesty International published a list of 72 individuals Wednesday whose deaths in custody since January 2010 it said Iran had not adequately explained despite reports that they resulted from torture and ill treatment, including firearms and tear gas.
“In 46 cases, informed sources including the relatives and/or fellow inmates…reported that the death resulted from physical torture or other ill treatment at the hands of intelligence and security agents or prison officials,” Amnesty said in a report demanding accountability for the suspicious deaths.
The international rights watchdog said its findings were based on research and a review of reporting by credible human rights groups and media outlets. The deaths all occurred in 42 prisons and detention centers, including facilities run by the ministry of intelligence, in 16 provinces across Iran during preliminary investigations or within a few days of arrest.
“Ensuring respect for people’s right to life requires that officials suspected of torturing prisoners to death are criminally investigated, and if enough admissible evidence against them is found, prosecuted,” Amnesty said. “Lack of investigations constitutes in and of itself a violation of the right to life.”
Amnesty International on August 25 issued a statement that surveillance videos from Tehran’s Evin prison circulated by hackers (link is external)were the “tip of the iceberg” of mal-treatment. The hackers said last month they would release further incriminating footage(link is external).
Last week, labor activist and author Sepideh Gholian(link is external), currently on furlough from prison in Bushehr province, made detailed allegation of abuse of prisoners in the prison’s women’s ward.
In previous reports Amnesty International has listed(link is external) beatings, floggings, electric shocks, stress positions, mock executions, waterboarding, sexual violence, forced administration of chemicals, and deprivation of medical care as among the tortures committed by Iran’s police, intelligence and security forces and prison officials against detainees with the complicity of judges and prosecutors.
Source » iranbriefing