Trials of Kahrizak offenders end behind closed doors

The last session of the trials of Kahrizak Detention Centre officials was held yesterday behind closed doors in Tehran in the presence of families of the victims.

The accused in the case of violations against detainee rights at the infamous jail are all military officials of various strata of the Islamic Republic military.

A knowledgeable source has informed Mehr new agency that one of the defendants is a former member of Iran’s Security Forces and therefore, the trials have been held in the judicial branch of the Armed Forces.

In the post election protests to the alleged fraud in the re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, scores of protesters were arrested and some were transferred to Kahrizak Detention Centre.

The Centre was soon after closed by the order of Ayatollah Khamenei after news of torture and death of detainees leaked to the public.

A parliamentary investigation confirmed that the officials committed gross violation against detainee rights including various forms of torture and abuse which also led to the death of four prisoners.

The government has made every effort in delaying the process of bringing the perpetrators of these crimes to justice and in keeping the details of the trials confidential.

In contrast, mass trials of prominent reformists detained in connection with challenging the election outcome was aired on TV last summer and dishevelled prisoners were shown giving self-incriminating testimonies which the opposition maintains were coerced.