Iran says Canadian journalist was beaten to death

Iran announced yesterday that a Canadian journalist was beaten to death during or after her arrest outside a Tehran prison last month, reversing its previous claim that she died of a stroke while in custody.

Iran also promised to prosecute those responsible for the death of Montreal-based Zahra Kazemi, 54, a Canadian of Iranian descent who died on Friday. But it continued to rebuff Canadian calls for Kazemi's body to be returned to her adoptive country.

"According to a report by the health minister she has died of a brain haemorrhage resulting from beatings," Vice-President Mohammad Ali Abtahi told reporters. "The death of Zahra Kazemi... creates a very black picture (of Iran) in the world."

Kazemi's death has outraged Canada's government and cast a spotlight on Iran's shadowy security services and treatment of the media.