Hundreds of demonstrators extended their protests this week outside Iran’s notorious Evin Prison, demanding information about about loved ones detained — without being charged — since ongoing anti-government protests erupted almost two weeks ago.
Uncertainty surrounds the status of more than 3,000 who have been detained since protests broke out on Dec. 28 and quickly spread to more than 130 locations across the country.
“People inside are being tortured, maybe tortured to death,” Amir, a 31-year-old activist and business owner, told Fox News in a telephone interview from outside the prison on Tuesday night. Amir, who declined to give his last name for fear of retribution, spoke from amid a crowd of protestors, who could be heard chanting “free the prisoners” and “we are united” in the background.
Amir said a close friend, a 26-year-old student, was one of the “lucky” ones to have been released this week after more than a week in detention – but is now hiding for the sake of his family’s safety.
“He was arrested by plainclothes police at the beginning of the protests in Tehran,” Amir recalled. “Then he was beaten badly. He said 400 to 500 people were forced into a room that should only hold 120 persons. They suffered all the torture – sleep deprivation, lack of food, all the things.” – READ MORE
[divider][/divider]On Friday, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley issued a lengthy statement on the ongoing Iranian protests before an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council.
WATCH:
During her speech, she called out members of the Security Council who “believe human rights and fundamental freedoms are the business only of the governments that control them.”
She continued, blasting the Iranian regime for its role in the Syrian war, as well as its ongoing funding of radicals throughout the Middle East – READ MORE
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