Iran unrest full-blown rights crisis, says Human Rights Watch

Dubai: The Human Rights Watch said that Iran's post-election unrest is a "full-blown human rights crisis" and called on Tehran to free government critics detained during the crackdown.

The New York-based watchdog said in a report released on Sunday that the "systematic and brutal targeting" of demonstrators and dissidents by security forces after the June presidential elections was an attempt "to silence voices of dissent."

Thousands of peaceful protesters, including students, lawyers and prominent human rights activists have been detained in a crackdown that has turned into "a human rights disaster," the watchdog said.