Citizens Rights Commission established by Iranian police force

Iranian police department has announced that respecting citizens’ rights is one of its priorities in the New Year and reported that to this end they are establishing a Citizens’ Rights Commission within the Security Forces.

Commander of Islamic Republic’s Police Force, Brigadier-General Esmail Ahmadi Moghaddam claimed that even criminals have to be treated appropriately and citizens must be treated according to the law, Islamic Republic’s Police News Centre reports.

In the post-election protests in Iran which started last June, Iranian police have been seen mistreating protesters on the streets and reports of police abuse of prisoners in Kahrizak Detention Centre near Tehran was recently confirmed by a parliamentary fact-finding committee.

Human rights groups in Iran and abroad have repeatedly condemned the actions of the security forces.

The police department’s initiative concerning citizens’ rights appears to be an attempt at recuperating their image after months of negative publicity.

Brigadier-General Ahmadi Moghaddam also announced earlier that in order to assure citizens rights are respected, interrogation rooms and detention centres will be equipped with closed circuit cameras and surveillance systems.