Clinton: Iran crackdown has killed protesters, abused human rights
CNN
24-Feb-2011

Washington (CNN) -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday accused Iran of a repressive crackdown on protesters and political opponents in the past 10 days, including the killing of peaceful demonstrators by security forces.

"Security forces have beaten, detained and -- in at least three cases -- killed peaceful protesters," Clinton said in a statement. "Off the streets, the regime's leaders have targeted human rights defenders and political activists, and authorities have recently rounded up ex-government officials and their families; former members of parliament; clerics and their children; student leaders and their professors; as well as journalists and bloggers."

Clinton's statement said the United States "remains deeply concerned by the persecution of Iranian citizens at the hand of their government," and praised "the bravery of thousands of Iranians who once again took to the streets to exercise their fundamental rights" in the past 10 days.

Clinton noted an earlier announcement Wednesday in which the United States sanctioned two Iranian officials for human rights offenses that were reported after the hotly contested 2009 presidential election.

Prosecutor General Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi and Mohammad Reza Naqdi, the commander of Iran's Basij paramilitary force, have been targeted by the U.S. Treasury and State Department for "being responsible for or complicit in serious... >>>

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