TEHRAN, May 5 (Xinhuanet) -- Iranian Judiciary Chief Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi has admitted for the first time that people suffered from human rights violations while under detention for political charges, the official IRNA news agency reported on Thursday.

   "Evidences indicate that the investigators in the detention centers violate Islamic and ethical principles to elicit confessions from those being accused of political offenses," Shahroudi was quoted as saying. 

   The European Union and some international organizations have repeatedly accused Iran of violating human rights of the detainees. But Tehran vehemently rejected the charge as fabricated before.

   Terming the human rights violation as "great injustice to the people", Shahroudi recognized that "I have evidences that the investigators have used force to elicit confessions from the defendants."

   "During interrogations, they forced the defendants to confess to several other charges which have nothing to do with the main charge that only the judge should examine," the judiciary chief added.

   Shahroudi said "Islam has clearly recommended us to respect human rights and I've got to know that we are currently violating what Islam ordered to us in relation with human rights of the people who for some reason are being led to the detention centers."

   "We have established the public and revolutionary courts to restore rights of the public. We have established police stations and security institutions to serve the people," he  said.

   "Eliciting confession from the defendants in absence of the judge is forbidden in Islam. Only the judge has the right to interrogate the defendant," Shahroudi stressed.  Enditem