Reuters: Iran's judiciary has launched a legal case against pro-reform cleric Mehdi Karoubi over his allegations that some imprisoned opposition supporters were raped, the official IRNA news agency reported on Tuesday. TEHRAN (Reuters) – Iran's judiciary has launched a legal case against pro-reform cleric Mehdi Karoubi over his allegations that some imprisoned opposition supporters were raped, the official IRNA news agency reported on Tuesday.
A special investigative committee had prepared a file into the case and sent it to the prosecutor's office, IRNA said.
"Karoubi is a cleric and his remarks should be studied at the special court for the clergy," said Tehran prosecutor Abbas Jafari-Dolatabadi. "Some people have also been summoned in connection with the case."
IRNA said: "A legal case prepared by the judicial investigative committee has been sent to the Tehran prosecutor over Karoubi's claims."
Karoubi, who finished fourth in the disputed June presidential election, angered hardliners in August by saying some people held in the street unrest that followed had been raped and abused in detention.
Last month, the same judicial committee rejected Karoubi's allegation and called for libel charges to be considered against anyone making such claims.
Karoubi and another defeated candidate Mirhossein Mousavi say the poll was rigged to secure President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's re-election. Officials reject the charge.
(Reporting by Reza Derakhshi; writing by Fredrik Dahl; editing by Matthew Jones)
