Iran: Judicial authority bans ‘torture’

Iran’s judicial authority on Thursday issued an order banning torture, the use of “forced confessions”, solitary confinement, illegal police detentions, and other violations of defendants’ rights. The “document on judicial security” was signed by Iran’s judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi and released by Mizan Online, the authority’s news agency. It also stressed the “transparency” of the judicial process, including the right to freely choose a lawyer and “the principle of the presumption of innocence”. It also guaranteed “consular access” for foreign nationals. Iran is regularly accused by the United Nations, several Western countries, rights organisations and Iranian lawyers of flouting the principles that Raisi said he wants to see respected. The publication of the charter comes a week after controversy was sparked by videos posted on social media showing police officers beating detainees in pick-up trucks in the middle of a street. In the videos, apparently filmed in Tehran, the detainees are also made to apologise for the “mistakes” they say they have made. style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0; bottom: 0; right: 0; left: 0;">