Probe into death of Iranian blogger urged

Iran's parliament has urged the judiciary to thoroughly investigate the death of a blogger in custody and monitor police stations to prevent further abuses.

A parliamentary committee statement read during a Sunday session of the legislature called for a "special" investigation into the November death of Sattar Beheshti.

It is not clear what that means legally, as prosecutors are already investigating the case.

But the statement reflects widespread outrage. Arrests of activists and claims of abuse in detention are commonplace in Iran, but deaths behind bars are much rarer.

Parliament also urged police to monitor all detention centres through closed circuit cameras, and suggested prosecutors visit regularly.

In December, Iran fired its head of cybersecurity over the case. It also detained seven police officers, three of whom remain in detention.

AP