The BBC reports that Mehdi Karroubi claims that some of the protesters imprisoned after the elections in Iran have been beaten to death. If proven true, these claims would pose a very serious challenge to the current government.
Back to topIran’s defeated opposition presidential candidate has said that some protesters held after last month’s disputed poll were tortured to death in prison.
The claim by Mehdi Karroubi comes days after he said a number of prisoners, both male and female, had been raped.
Officials deny the rape claims, but admit that abuses have taken place.
The BBC’s Jon Leyne says the opposition uses the issue to maintain political pressure without directly questioning Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s poll victory.
On Thursday, Mr Karroubi alleged that a number of detainees had been tortured to death.
“Some young people are beaten to death just for chanting slogans in [post-election] protests,” his website said.
Mr Karroubi also called for the formation of an independent committee to review his evidence in “a calm atmosphere”.