Across Asia: Iran

140 protesters freed

A parliament official says 140 people detained in Iran's postelection turmoil have been released from Teheran's main prison Evin. The prisoners were released after a parliament committee investigating detainees' condition visited Evin yesterday. Kazem Jalali, a spokesman for the committee, says 150 prisoners remain at Evin. Hundreds of people arrested in the crackdown on mass opposition protests that erupted after Iran's disputed June 12 presidential election. On Monday, Iran's supreme leader ordered the closure of a prison where rights workers say some protesters were killed.