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Torture allegations now emerging in Iran must be urgently and independently investigated, Irene Khan, Amnesty International’s Secretary General said today, as she urged Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to institute an immediate, independent inquiry and to invite international experts to help carry it out.

“Reports emerging from Iran allege that both men and women detainees have been raped and tortured in other ways, in some cases causing their deaths,” said Irene Khan. “The forms of abuse described appear to have been intended to degrade and humiliate the victims in the most extreme way, and if the allegations are well-founded those responsible must be brought to justice without delay.”

On 12 August, Ali Larijani, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament (Majles-e Shoura-ye Islami), said that an investigations conducted by the parliament had found no evidence of rape or other torture of detainees, although the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had earlier ordered the closure of Kahrizak detention centre and announced that the prison’s chief and several guards there had been dismissed for abuse of prisoners.