Iran Supreme Leader Closes Prison Over Abuses

Well, it looks like international pressure and the dogged determination of Iranian protestors have made supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei blink. For Khamenei to "close" a prison because of alleged humanitarian abuses of prisoners is pretty dramatic, but is nothing more that an excuse for the dhimmi West to grasp as a sign of giving a damn. However, this just means the prisoners have been transferred to other Iranian hell holes.

Khamenei has nowhere to go but down, so he will wield whatever brutality he can muster to squelch the protestors. Right now he's just adjusting the level of violence to keep international condemnation to a minimum. Ultimately, the success or failure of the current protests depends on the level of international pressure and the perseverance of the protestors.

At the same time, I wonder just what it is that the protestors want so badly. If it's only for the installation of Mir Hossein Mousavi, then from a Western point of view, nothing good will have been accomplished. Mousavi is just as dedicated to Iranian dominance in the region and is committed to globbal Jihad, he's just slicker than Khamenei in his dealings with the Kuffar.

So, the bottom line is that unless the protests are to overthrow ALL the mullahs and establish some sort of democratic government, the only benefit is a slowing (perhaps) of the nuclear bomb program.

FROM NEWSMAX.COM:

Iran Supreme Leader Closes Prison Over Abuses

TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran's supreme leader ordered the closure of a prison where rights workers say protesters detained in the country's election turmoil have died, officials said Tuesday, as the head of the opposition sharply condemned the wave of arrests.

The order by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was a nod to concerns over the treatment of the hundreds arrested after the disputed June 12 presidential election. Authorities appear to be paying greater attention to the complaints after the son of a prominent conservative figure died in prison — reportedly the same one closed by Khamenei.

Besides the closure of Kahrizak prison, the head of Iran's judiciary, promised on Monday that the public prosecutor would review the situation of all the hundreds of postelection detainees within a week and decide whether to release or bring them to trial, the state news agency IRNA reported. Also, a parliament committee investigating detainees' condition is scheduled to visit Tehran's main prison, Evin, on Tuesday, according to IRNA.

At least 500 people remain in prison from the heavy crackdown launched against protests that erupted following the election, in which President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared the winner but which the opposition says was fraudulent. Among those detained are young protesters, as well as prominent pro-reform politicians, rights activists, and lawyers.

The opposition has complained for weeks that many of the detainees are being held in secret prisons, have not had contact with their families and have undergone torture to force them to confess to stirring up unrest. At least 20 people were killed, according to police, though rights groups say the number is likely far higher. The crackdown was carried out by police, the elite Revolutionary Guards and the pro-government Basij militia.
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