Stories of U.S. ‘torture’ stir Iranian outrage

Press, 6 August 1980, Page 8

Stories of U.S. ‘torture’ stir Iranian outrage

NZPA-Reuter Teheran Up to a quarter of a million demonstrators prayed and chanted in a solemn religious protest in Teheran’s streets early yesterday, unshakeably convinced that nearly 200 Iranian students arrested during a demonstration are lying tortured .in American jails. In Washington, the American State Department denied any premeditated wholesale' brutality and said it would- welcome a United '/Nations investigation, '■ as requested by Iran. Iran’s chief United Nations representative visited women detainees yesterday. The vast and orderly Teheran crowd, sitting in solid ranks in the hot and dimlylit streets around the occupied United States Embassy, shouted “Alah-o-Akbar” (God is Great) as a Teheran politician made a sabotage threat against American property in the Middle East. “I say to the United States that. if they touch just one hair of. the -students, we will set ablaze all American resources in this region,” said Fakhreddin Hejazi, a hard-line member of the Majlis (Parliament). In ■ his two-hour addressmarked, by cries of “death to the fascist. American police,” he also said Iran was prepared to “throttle” the United States economy by blocking the Straits of Hormuz, the narrow entrance to the oil-rich Gulf. Government spokesmen have not made similar threats. The rally, lasting more than four hours, provided clear evidence of popular outrage over the alleged maltreatment of the Iranian students, detained since a Washington demonstration on' July 27. The students, were arrested during clashes be-

tween supporters and oppon e n t s of Ayatollah Khomeiny. They have refused to give their. names and.are being held in a Federal' prison in New York state. Some went on a hunger strike after being jailed. The United States Government has said those who are legally, in the country will be released as. soon as they give their names so they can be checked, The student militants holding 52 American hostages called the rally two days ago after Ayatollah Khomeiny told an emissary from Pope John Paul' that the American police had “chained and tortured” the Iranian' students. “We are Muslims and we believe in each other. When the Imam (Khomeiny) and the students say . they have been tortured, then they have been tortured,” said Reza, a young Revolutionary Guard on duty' with his G 3 rifle outside the embassy compound. Many people insisted that the arrest of the students, who are due to face deportation -proceedings, would delay any release of the' hostages,- who yesterday began, their tenth month in captivity. The torture allegations have also enraged some Majlis deputies, who are due to decide the fate of the hostages. The Majlis had been due to begin discussing yesterday its response to an. appeal from about 180 American Congressmen that the assembly should give priority to a resolution on The matter.

However, the Speaker, Hojatoleslam Hashemi Rafsanjani, told the House that following what he called atrocities against the detained Iranians “the first reaction which we are going to display is to postpone until an

appropriate time the discussions about the Congressional letter.” He also said that some deputies had proposed setting up a special committee to consider the possible trial of the hostages, but added that discussion of this proposal would also have to wait until a later session of the Majlis. During his oration, which was relayed by loudspeakers and would certainly, have beep audible to any of the hostages still inside the embassy, Mr Hejazi ran through the litany of Iranian resentment against the United States. He accused President Carter of scheming more than 30 plots against Iran since the revolution 18 months ago. Although some foreign observers feel Iranian leaders have perhaps seized on the “tortured” students issue to divert domestic attention from pressing political and economic problems, '; the depth of public sentiment was patently genuine at the rally. . '■-/,?■ ! Many people, with open copies of the Koran in their laps, wept as a prayer-leader invoked God’s help. “We sit here in victory but our hearts are filled with sadness,”' he wailed. Earlier, he told the crowd that Iranian students demonstrating outside the United States Embassy in London had been “savagely beaten” by the British police. About 50. Iranian ' demonstrators were arrested after scuffles with the police in the British capital, according to I

police reports from there. The police said the only injuries suffered by both sides were bruises.

However, the official Pars news agency, in a dispatch from London, reported that the “bloodsucking British police, with whips in their hands,” rode down the Iranian students.

“While the demonstration was peaceful and our Muslim sisters and brothers were protesting the harassment of the Iranian students in the United States the bloodsucking British police, with whips in their hands and riding on horseback, attacked the innocent students, injuring them with whips beneath the horses’ hooves.”

In Washington the State Department spokesman, John Trattner said: “I note that all of these people now in detention have access to a lot of things you would expect them to have — such as food, medical care, recreation, telephones.”

Asked what the American reaction would be to an Iranian call for a United Nations investigation into the detentions, Mr Trattner said: "We would welcome that, as we would welcome a similar investigation by the United Nations into the situation of our people in Teheran and elsewhere.”

Earlier in the day two Iranians sued the American Government and the district of Columbia for SUS6.2SM in damages on the ground that they were brutally beaten by the police during the demonstrations.