Iranian officials should cease spreading lies and disinformation about the existence of political prisoners as they are simultaneously imprisoning hundreds for exercising their legal rights, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran said today. … On July 8, 2012, head of Iran’s High Council for Human Rights Javad Larijani publicly denied the existence of political prisoners in Iran. … Despite Larijani’s remark, Iran currently imprisons hundreds of people on politically motivated charges. … “Larijani has an infamous record of disinformation and outright lies,” said Hadi Ghaemi, spokesperson for the Campaign. “His latest uttering adds insult to injury—it is an outrage for the hundreds of suffering political prisoners and their families,” he added. … Larijani also denied mistreatment of any prisoners. … Larijani has a long history of denying well-documented human rights abuses in Iran, both in the media and in international forums like the UN. … “It is high time for Larijani and his brother Sadeq Larijani, who heads the Judiciary, to be held accountable as two of the figures leading and justifying the current repression,” Ghaemi said. >>>
