Iranian intellectuals claim abuses under Islamic rule

A group of 38 intellectuals, many of them opponents of the late Shah, said that two years of Islamic rule had brought repression, torture, and injustice back to Iran. The charges were made in an open letter signed by writers, academics, lawyers, and journalists. They accused authorities of violating human rights, showing contempt for the masses, suppressing ethnic minorities, and leading the country toward economic disaster.

Academics said the letter, circulated in the streets, reflected widespread and growing disenchantment amo ng intellectuals.