Washington DC – The National Iranian American Council condemns the mass “show trial” of opposition figures and systematic abuse of detainees by Iranian authorities which have led to numerous deaths and injuries in custody. NIAC believes these repressive tactics are aimed at misleading the Iranian public about post-election events and intimidating Iranians from further dissent or activism.
“These show trials add to the long list of violations committed by Iranian authorities,” said NIAC President Trita Parsi. “There should be no illusion in Tehran about where world public opinion stands on these outrageous trials and accusations.”
On August 1, Iranian authorities began a mass “trial” of over 100 individuals, including former vice president, Mohammad Ali Abtahi, and a top reformist figure, Mohammad Atrianfar. The detainees, who appeared in court without the previous knowledge of their lawyers or families, “confessed” to attempting a “velvet coup” in the post-election unrest and claimed they no longer believed the elections were fraudulent.
