Free Republic

The Times June 25, 2009 Jenny Booth and James Hider Saeed Mortazavi: butcher of the press - and torturer of Tehran?Saeed Mortazavi(Photo: Raheb Homavandi/Reuters) The Iranian regime has appointed one of its most feared prosecutors to interrogate reformists arrested during demonstrations, prompting fears of a brutal crackdown against dissent. Relatives of several detained protesters have confirmed that the interrogation of prisoners is now being headed by Saaed Mortazavi, a figure known in Iran as “the butcher of the press”. He gained notoriety for his role in the death of a Canadian-Iranian photographer who was tortured, beaten and raped during her...

HOLLYWOOD starlets who regret topless appearances in B-list films made before they hit the big time should spare a pitying thought for their Iranian counterparts - who risk far more than mere embarrassment.In a scandal now gripping the conservative Islamic country, police are investigating a private film circulating on the black market that purports to show a rising young soap star making love to her boyfriend. The woman is being investigated for a suspected breach of the country's morality laws that prohibit sex outside marriage. Lashing is the penalty. Her alleged partner in the footage, which has spread across the...

Mortazavi: Iran intends to closely cooperate with UN Human Rights Council June 19, 2006 Switzerland-Human Rights-Mortazavi Tehran Prosecutor General Saeed Mortazavi said that formation of the United Nations Human Rights Council is a major development facing world nations and urged governments to attempt safeguard human rights as a necessity of the present age. He told IRNA that the UN Human Rights Council should be strongly supported by all countries, adding that Iran intends to cooperate closely with this newly-founded council. Currently visiting Geneva to attend the first UN Human Rights Council meeting, he added, "The Human Rights Council should be...