Deputy Chief of the Iranian Judiciary and secretary of the High Council for Human Rights Kazem Gharibabadi while appreciating the round-the-clock efforts of the Prisons Organization and judicial officials, stressed the need to determine the situation of detainees as quickly as possible.
Gharibabadi, along with a group of officials from the Human Rights Headquarters and the Director General of Prisons in Tehran Province on Tuesday, attended Great Tehran Penitentiary and visited the places where the detainees of the recent riots in Tehran have been kept there and also talked face-to-face with a number of them.
Gharibabadi was briefed on the detainees' requests and the latest situation in their cases, and also during the meeting with prisons organization officials and judicial officials in Great Tehran Penitentiary, while appreciating their round-the-clock efforts, he stressed the need to determine the detainees' situation as quickly as possible.
He added that it is necessary to make difference between those who have been deceived or instigated by emotions and entered the gatherings, but have not committed acts of disturbance or destruction of public and private property, and those who did not beat the people and security agents, with those who have disrupted the security of the people and society. Although the first group has committed illegal acts, but Islamic mercy would allow for the liberation of the first group.
Referring to the order of Iran’s Judiciary chief, Gharibabadi highlighted that investigations have been accelerated to identify those who have been arrested innocently, or who have not played a role in sabotage and insecurity. In this regard, a significant proportion of the detainees in Tehran province, in addition to 620, were released as of last night.
He urged prison authorities to take the rights of detainees more seriously, including contact with their families, charges, and access to lawyers.
Prison officials also reported that the free calling card was given to the detainees for the first three days, and also they had been able to make phone calls to their families without restrictions since they were in Great Tehran Penitentiary and that although they were in the process of reviewing the case, they were also allowed to visit their families.
Earlier on Tuesday, Iran's Judiciary chief Hojjatoleslam Mohseni Ejei said that vandalism is not regarded as a way to show protest.
He made the remarks about recent violent protests across the country in reaction to the death of a young woman in police custody.
Showing protest is legally recognized, Mohseni Ejei said, however, noting that setting public and private property on fire, intimidating the citizens, and killing and injuring police officers are not regarded as ways of protesting.
He said that such acts of vandalism are regarded as disturbance and chaos worldwide and are dealt with decisively and legally.
The official added that such incidents are not something new in Iran as the enemies of the Islamic Republic have done whatever they could over the past forty years to stop this system from making progress.