Iran Focus: Tehran, Iran, Jul. 26 Irans judiciary backtracked on Tuesday on a report published last week revealing that torture and inhumane punishments were widespread inside Irans prisons. In a move to limit the damage caused by the release of the report, judiciary spokesman, Jamal Karimi-Rad, told reporters that the report by the judiciary review committee in Tehran was merely the minutes of the [committees”> meeting, adding that the Tehran Justice Department had
acted “carelessly and tactlessly” in publishing it. Iran Focus
Tehran, Iran, Jul. 26 Irans judiciary backtracked on Tuesday on a report published last week revealing that torture and inhumane punishments were widespread inside Irans prisons.
In a move to limit the damage caused by the release of the report, judiciary spokesman, Jamal Karimi-Rad, told reporters that the report by the judiciary review committee in Tehran was merely the minutes of the [committees”> meeting, adding that the Tehran Justice Department had acted “carelessly and tactlessly” in publishing it.
Following the statement by Ayatollah Hashemi Shahroudi, the directions of the review committee were drawn up and sent to all the countrys public prosecutors offices, Karimi-Rad said,
“The release of this report let to various reactions and responses in the past few weeks and it was even described as shocking news. Was it fair that some in the media wrote about this report in such a way? The report was published by some in the media in a way that made readers think that these violations were widespread throughout the country while it was only related to Tehran.
Karimi-Rad said the report was part of the minutes of a meeting between judiciary board members and not a final report, adding that the Tehran Justice Department had carelessly passed it to the media as the final report.
Such publications will not help humanity. I have therefore denied such report which are false and only reflected discussions between the [committee”> colleagues.
Karimi-Rad brisked over the fate of the 1,400 Rajai-Shahr prisoners mentioned in the report, labeling them people that were involved in financial fraud, embezzlement, bribery, murder and armed robbery instead of political prisoners.
He cautioned the media in writing news about people whose fate remained unclear.
On the authorities’ prevention of the British charge daffaires in Tehran from attending the trial of the presumed murderer of Zahra Kazemi, Karimi-Rad said, When the British Charge daffaires arrived at the court he was directed to the office of the courts supervisor and was told that because he came late, there was no space left for him in the courtroom.
