The deaths of the prisoners drew some of the fiercest criticism against Iran's ruling establishment and its treatment of those arrested in the turmoil following the disputed 2009 presidential election.

The suspensions pave the way for trial of the three officials, newspapers said. The officials' names were not released and there were no details about their suspected links to the torture deaths.

The reports said Iran's disciplinary court ordered the officials suspended from their posts and revoked their immunity from trial. Under Iranian law, a judge or a prosecutor can go on trial only after suspension from the job.

The three slain prisoners were detained in mass street protests that erupted after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's re-election in June 2009 and died in Tehran's Kahrizak prison the following month.

One of the slain was 24-year-old Mohsen Rouhalamini, the son of a prominent conservative figure. His death sparked an outcry even among government supporters. The two other victims were identified as Amir Javadifar and Mohammad Kamrani.