Iran had stepped up its suppression of political opposition...

Iran had stepped up its suppression of political opposition with an intense campaign of torture and arbitrary arrests, the New York-based Human Rights Watch said in a report released.
The 72-page report documented systematic abuses of political detainees in Tehran's Evin Prison and in secret jails around the capital since the government launched its current crackdown in 2000.
"Claims that reforms in Iran have put an end to torture are simply false," said Sarah Whitson, executive director of Human Rights Watch's Middle East and North Africa Division. "More than ever, journalists, intellectuals and activists are afraid to voice opinions critical of the government," Whitson said.
The report argued that anti-torture legislation passed by Iran's outgoing reformist parliament in May 2004 had not been effectively implemented. The long list of maltreatment documented in the report included arbitrary arrest, detention without trial, torture to extract confessions, prolonged solitary confinement, and physical and psychological abuse.
"The Iranian government's use of these harsh techniques has largely squelched the country's political opposition and independent media," Human Rights Watch said.
The report documented cases of beatings, long confinement in contorted positions, kicking detainees with military boots, hanging them by the arms and legs, and threats of execution if individuals refused to confess.
A number of former detainees reported that they were treated more harshly after requesting the aid of defense counsel, or inquiring as to the legal status of their cases.
Human Rights Watch called on the European Union to step up pressure on Iran during the next round of their long-running human rights dialogue in Tehran on June 14 and 15.