Students File Lawsuits Against Police Over Hostel Raid
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) -- Iran's military is investigating
a lawsuit filed by 15 students claiming they were beaten by policemen
during a raid on their dormitory in July, a newspaper reported Thursday.
The raid, which left one person dead and 20 injured, triggered the worst
unrest in Iran in 20 years. Anger over the incident snowballed into six
days of nationwide protests by tens of thousands of students in which
at least two other people were killed.
The Tehran Times said the judicial department of Iran's armed forces
is conducting the investigation before forwarding the lawsuit to courts.
Under Iranian law, complaints against security forces have to be examined
by the military before they can be heard in court.
The English-language Times said an examination by the coroner's office
confirmed that the students were beaten up. The newspaper was monitored
in Dubai.
Last month, a government inquiry said the July 9 raid on the Tehran
University dormitory was carried out by hard-line security forces and
vigilantes. The hostel was stormed hours after students rallied against
the banning of a liberal newspaper.
The unrest is part of a larger power struggle between hard-liners in
the Iranian government and moderates allied with President Mohammad Khatami.
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