Iran does what the U.S. won't: begins criminal trials for those accused of torture

[Fumesucker]

Glenn Greenwald's current column is simultaneously interesting and humiliating..

http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/index.html?story=/opinion/greenwald/2010/03/09/iran

Iran Torture Trials Begin

TEHRAN, Iran — The trial in Iran opened Tuesday for 12 suspects accused of torturing to death three anti-government protesters tortured in prison during the turmoil following the June elections, the official news agency reported.

Iran's judiciary last year charged 12 officials at Kahrizak prison for involvement in the death of three protesters detained there in July. . . .

In January, a parliamentary probe found a former Tehran prosecutor, Saeed Mortazavi, responsible for the torture death of the three in Kahrizak detention center in the capital. . . . .

Anger over the abuse emerged in August, after influential conservative figures in the clerical hierarchy condemned the mistreatment of detainees. The outrage forced Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to order the immediate closure of [] Kahrizak.

At least 100 detainees died in U.S. custody in connection with interrogation practices. Gen. Barry McCaffrey put it this way: "We tortured people unmercifully. We probably murdered dozens of them during the course of that, both the armed forces and the C.I.A." Other than a handful of very low-level scapegoats, none has been punished, or even investigated, but rather immunized in multiple ways, both formal and informal. Army Gen. Antonio Taguba concluded that the abuse was the direct result of the orders of top-level Bush officials and said: "there is no longer any doubt as to whether the current administration has committed war crimes. The only question that remains to be answered is whether those who ordered the use of torture will be held to account." Most of the people subject to our lawless "war on Terror" detention system were completely innocent.

Iran is a horribly oppressive regime and many of these judicial processes may (or may not) be sham trials. But they have a citizenry which effectively demanded accountability for torture, a government which relented to citizen demands, and a judiciary which compelled at least some judicial scrutiny and adjudication for these crimes. One can only imagine what it must be like to be a citizen of a country that feels obligated to at least maintain the pretense of that the rule of law applies to all (even if for no other reason than to placate its enraged populace).

[FiveGoodMen]

1. WE'RE NUMBER one ...

or something good, I hope ...

oh well

[Fumesucker]

2. Kick for the morning Krewe..

:kick:

[G_j]

3. At least 100 detainees died in U.S. custody

what is about WAR CRIMES America doesn't get?

[Fumesucker]

5. We need to look forward not backward? n/t

[cali]

4. sorry, I don't see Iran as a shining example

they hung quite a few of the protesters. that's torture that ends in death every time.

[Fumesucker]

6. Where are the trials in America then?

For those who tortured?

Aren't we supposed to be *better* than Iran?

[cali]

7. well, I'd sure as shit rather live here than in Iran

and of course there should be prosecutions, but that's hardly the only measure.

[Flaneur]

8. Nobody's suggesting you should move to Iran.

But it would be nice to live in a country where torturers and their enablers (Mr. Woo, are you listening?) face the rule of law.

[cali]

10. alas, that's rather panglossian.

very few countries actually have pursued their torturers and enablers.

[Fumesucker]

11. Aren't we supposed to be the country that's all about "the rule of law"?

[Fumesucker]

12. Hanging is not torture if done properly..

It's actually a quick means of ending a life although probably pretty painful.

[Robb]

9. Um, yay Iran?

:rofl: