Iran suspends officials after prison deaths

Iran has suspended three senior judiciary officials over their alleged links to the torture and killing of three anti-government protesters in prison.

A report today by the independent Tehran-e Emrooz newspaper said the suspensions paved the way for the trial of the three officials. Their names were not released.

The protesters were detained in the turmoil following the June 2009 disputed presidential election and died in Tehran’s Kahrizak prison the following month.

One of them was Mohsen Rouhalamini, the son of a prominent conservative figure.

Anger over the abuse eventually forced the closure of the prison.

Iran in June convicted and sentenced two prison officials to death on charges of torturing and killing the three opposition protesters in prison.