Human Rights Watch: Iran Stop ‘Framing’ Government Critics

In the aftermath of the June 12 contested presidential election, the government has arrested hundreds of political dissidents and supporters of the reformist candidates Mir Hussein Mousavi and Mehdi Karrubi. In many cases, the authorities have refused to provide information about the conditions of their detention. Some detained reformist leaders, including Mostafa Tajzadeh, Behzad Nabavi, and Hamzeh Ghalebi, have had no contact with their families since their arrests more than a month ago.

The father of one detainee who reportedly made such a confession told Human Rights Watch that, in a brief telephone call home, his son stated that he was "well." When his father told him that an attorney is following up his case, he replied that he "does not need any lawyer, as nobody can help him." "He then started crying and the phone was disconnected," the father said. "His family is familiar with his strong spirit and we were deeply concerned by his tone and tears."