Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: Torture Not My Department

2 years ago

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Ahead of his appearance at the U.N. General Assembly, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sat down with MSNBC's Ann Curry, who asked him about allegations that prisoners -- both men and women -- had been tortured and raped. He was expected to issue a standard denial. Instead, there was this bizarre exchange:

Ahmadinejad: I'm not in a position to answer or to judge whatever you are claiming. But are you – does your heart really and sincerely go out to the people? Are you really – is that really the truth?
Curry: I know people, Mr. President
Ahmadinejad: I don't believe that.
Curry: I know people, Mr. President, who I believe were innocent. Who were tortured –
Ahmadinejad: It's possible
Curry: In the prisons.
Ahmadinejad: I don't have such information. People tortured in prisons. Maybe you have more – specific information. Our judiciary, in accordance with the law, will deal with this matter.

In fact, last month, a leading member of Iran's judiciary said officials had been looking into it and admitted torture had indeed taken place.

According to the New York Times, Qorbanali Dori-Najafabadi, Iran's prosecutor general, cited "mistakes" that had caused "painful accidents which cannot be defended, and those who were involved should be punished." If that wasn't clear enough, he then acknowledged "maybe there were cases of torture in the early days after the election," before saying he would be willing to follow up on complaints.

Earlier this week a special judiciary panel convened to look into the allegations. It released a statement insisting that claims of prison rape were fake and threatened that further claims could result in charges against the accusers.

Filed Under: Iran, Foreign Policy, Woman Up, International

Tagged: ahmadinejad, ann curry, AnnCurry, daily guidance, DailyGuidance, iran election, iran election protests, iran elections, IranElection, IranElectionProtests, IranElections, mahmoud ahmadinejad, MahmoudAhmadinejad, torture

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