At least 16 of the 17 men arrested on 10th May at a private party in the central Iranian province of Esfahan have now been released, Amnesty International said yesterday. Twelve were reportedly released in the weeks following their arrest while four of the remaining five were released on 29th May, the human rights group said. All of these men were required to post bail and will reportedly face trial in June. There are conflicting reports as to whether the fifth man has been released. They were among 87 people reportedly arrested at the party. Of these, 60 have been released unconditionally, while 26, including those referred to above, were released on bail, amnesty said. News of the arrests first came from the Toronto-based Iranian Queer Organization, IRQO. Their report said police converged on the house where a man identified only as Farhad was celebrating his birthday. Police brutally assaulted the man and others, including his parents, and everyone at the party on 10th May was arrested on the spot, said IRQO. The 17 men are believed to have been wearing clothes generally associated with women at the time they were arrested, but Amnesty says it is not aware of any evidence that the men attending the party identify themselves as gay or were engaging in same-sex sexual relations. Nevertheless, Amnesty said that those arrested are not believed to have had access to lawyers or their families, and a judge has reportedly said that those detained following the private party will be charged with consumption of alcohol and "homosexual conduct". During the arrests, those attending the party were said to have been dragged into the street by police and members of the Basij force (volunteer paramilitary units attached to the Revolutionary Guards Corps), who beat them severely, causing bruising and, in some cases, broken bones. It remains unclear if those detained were allowed access to medical treatment. Amnesty said it will continue to monitor the situation closely. Homosexuality is a capital crime under Sharia, or Islamic, law. Some international gay rights groups believe that more than 4,000 lesbians and gay men have been executed since the Ayatollahs seized power in 1979. Related links: www.irqo.net/ Ref: 365gay.com, Amnesty International, IRQO (m)