U.N. experts say Iran tortured to extract confessions

Three independent United Nations human rights experts have accused Iran of torturing confessions from detainees charged with fomenting political unrest, the international organization said Thursday. “No judicial system can consider as valid a confession obtained as a result of harsh interrogations or under torture,” said Manfred Nowak, who is the U.N

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Clinton says trial shows Iran ‘is afraid of its own people’

Iran’s trial of more than 100 people who it has linked to post-election unrest is a "sign of weakness" and shows that the Islamic republic "is afraid of its own people," U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told CNN Thursday.

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Analysis: Empty seats, silence speaks for protesters

In his inauguration speech at the Iranian parliament, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had something to say for almost everyone — his supporters, his opponents and those he called "enemies" without naming names. He hailed what he called an “epic election” but didn’t go into the turmoil of the past two months that ensued.

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Ahmadinejad may face bumpy 2nd term

Four years ago, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei kissed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on the cheek before he was sworn in as Iran’s new leader. Song and prayer heralded a new start for Iran with the hard-line Tehran mayor, virtually unknown to the outside world in 2005. He promised to stamp out corruption and fight for justice

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Victims of Nigerian clashes buried in mass graves

About 780 people killed in clashes with Islamic militants in the northeast Nigerian area of Maiduguri have been buried in mass graves, an aid official said Monday. The Red Cross urged an environmental agency to bury them as soon as possible because of the dangers of so many bodies being exposed to northern Nigeria’s heat, said Mohammed Zannah Barma, secretary of the Red Cross in Borno state.

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Leaving Iran While Looking Over Your Shoulder: A Reporter’s Diary

Two days before leaving Tehran and three weeks after Iranian Intelligence had come around looking for me, I was taking no chances. The notes, essays and photos on the protests I had been regularly sending back for publication would have to be sent to the States separately…with my grandma. She had a flight to the U.S.

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