"Iran is among the few countries whose laws ban torturing; more interestingly, torture has been declared as Haram (religiously forbidden) in our religious laws (Shariat)," Secretary of Iran's Human Rights Council Mohammad Javad Larijani told reporters here in Tehran today.
He added that the number of human rights violation cases is much lower than the figures in "those countries that have the ploy and cover their tortures."
Larijani further reiterated Tehran's firm will to fight back injustice, and said, "Torturing is Haram and illegal in our country and the judiciary will deals with any such case seriously because fighting injustice in all types is the definite position of the judicial body."
Article 38 of the Iranian Constitution provides that "All forms of torture for the purpose of extracting confession or acquiring information are forbidden. Compulsion of individuals to testify, confess, or take an oath is not permissible; and any testimony, confession, or oath obtained under duress is devoid of value and credence. Violation of this article is liable to punishment in accordance with the law."
