Iran's judiciary says 3 post-election unrest prisoners killed in jail

TEHRAN, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- Iran's military judiciary has said that at least three prisoners were beaten to death by their jailers in a controversial prison during the unrest following this June's presidential election, Iran's satellite channel Press TV reported Saturday.

According to forensic reports, the three prisoners "died from injuries sustained during repeated beatings" in the Kahrizak prison in south Tehran, Iran's judiciary organization for the armed forces was quoted as saying.

At least 12 suspects have been charged -- three of them with direct involvement in the beatings that led to the deaths, it said, without disclosing the names or official positions of the three defendants.

The Iranian military judiciary said overall 168 detainees arrested during the post-election unrest had been held in the Kahrizak prison, which was later closed in line with an order of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The three slain detainees were identified as Mohsen Ruholamini, Amir Javadi-Far and Mohammad Kamrani. Earlier reports by Iranian officials had said they died of meningitis.

Protests gripped Tehran and other Iranian cities after the June12 presidential election, amid claims that the vote had been rigged in favor of incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Thousands of people were arrested by the authorities, but most of them were released later.

Iran's state media said about 30 people had been killed in relevant clashes, including some in custody. However, the opposition claimed that at least 72 protesters were killed in the post-election unrest.