Tehran  - Legal action has been taken against Iranian opposition cleric Mehdi Karroubi over his claims that dissidents were raped in the country's prisons, the official news agency IRNA reported Tuesday.

IRNA said that a special committee in the judiciary has prepared a file against Karroubi over his claims that some of the young post-vote detainees had been raped in Iranian prisons.

The 72-year-old Karroubi is leader of the opposition party Etemad Melli (National Trust) and one the harshest opponents of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Karroubi in July claimed that some of political prisoners detained following protests over the flawed June 12 presidential election had been sexually abused.

The government, parliament and judiciary have categorically rejected Karroubi's allegations and said as the cleric could not present any proof, legal action should be taken against him.

Karroubi, however, said he would not be intimidated by the legal warnings. He also claimed to have obtained documented proof for his rape charges but the proof was confiscated by security authorities when his office was raided and closed down last month.

Opposition leader Mir-Hossein Moussavi has supported the rape claims made by Karroubi.(dpa)