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Iran charges 12 at prison over death of protesters
The Iranian authorities acknowledged Saturday for the first time that at least three protesters had been beaten to death in prison after the disputed presidential election in June, as a military court announced that 12 prison officials had been charged with murder and other crimes.
The court's statement followed months of denials by the police and prosecutors, who grudgingly conceded that some torture had taken place but attributed the deaths to meningitis or other illnesses. The statement was posted on the Web site of ISNA, a semiofficial news agency.
The statement represented a vindication for the Iranian opposition, whose leaders have long accused the government of covering up savage abuses during the postelection crackdown. Opposition leaders say at least 73 people are known to have been killed in the unrest. The government has given varying totals, from 17 to 30, including members of its own security forces.