TEHRAN, 4 November 2003 — Two Iranian journalists with state-run television who were freed yesterday by US forces in Iraq after four months in detention have charged they were subjected to “severe torture” while in American custody.
But in Baghdad a coalition military spokesman denied that anyone was mistreated in its custody.
“The detention was unimaginable. The first 10 days were like a nightmare. We were subjected to severe torture,” Saeed Abou Taleb told state television as he and his freed colleague Sohail Karimi crossed back into Iran.
“The other four months were terrifying. I would rather not remember it. It was very bad, very bad,” he said as the pair were greeted at the southern Iranian border post of Shalamcheh, near the Iraqi city of Basra.
He did not elaborate on the allegation of torture, which the coalition spokesman in Iraq rejected out of hand saying: “The coalition does not mistreat anyone in its custody — full stop.”
