'A crime is happening': Iranian regime resorts to cruel methods against young women

Created: 2022-11-22Updated: 2022-11-22 4:26 p.m

By: Stephanie Munk

A participant in a solidarity demonstration with the protesters in Iran is made up with an Iranian flag and red blood.

(Iconic image) © Gregorio Borgia

In Iran, women in particular are demonstrating against the regime's repressive policies.

Research now shows that cruel things often happen to them in detention.

Munich — The death of young Mahsa Amini shocked all of Iran.

Since then, women who suffer under the regime's harsh policies in Tehran, as well as men, have taken to the streets to resist the oppression.

And for some, this seems to have drastic consequences: the US broadcaster CNN revealed in extensive research that women in Iranian prisons are probably being systematically raped by officials.

CNN was able to verify several such cases.

Since journalistic research is almost impossible in Iran itself, the journalists went in search of clues in the Iraqi-Iranian border area.

Eyewitnesses reported there of terrible incidents against demonstrators in the notorious Iranian detention centers.

In total, CNN learned of eleven cases of sexual violence against demonstrators in Iranian prisons, some involving multiple victims.

Rape in Iranian prisons?

Victims will probably be taken to interrogation rooms

An eyewitness is named Hana.

She reports how perfidious the officers apparently acted in their rapes.

The young woman said she was held in prison for 24 hours because she took part in the nationwide protests.

There was a main hall with several small interrogation rooms leading off.

Based on her description, the officers chose a girl they liked, took her to one of the rooms and raped her.

Some of the victims were no older than 13 or 14 years.

Hana herself later managed to escape to Iran.

She narrowly escaped being raped: her tormentor was disturbed by a riot in prison while he was about to rape her.

Shaved and with serious injuries: 20-year-old demonstrator can no longer be reached

The young Iranian Armita Abbasi was apparently not so lucky.

There has been no trace of the 20-year-old protester since she was taken to the hospital shaved, violently shaking and with injuries that indicated serious rape.

Before that she had been in a prison.

CNN researched her case on social networks and received messages from several doctors at the hospital where the 20-year-old was.

The informants confirmed that everything pointed to severe rapes in prison.

A source is quoted as saying: "It is not my intention to spread fear and terror.

But it is the truth.

A crime is happening and I cannot remain silent.”

The Iranian government, on the other hand, claims that Abbasi was hospitalized with digestive problems.

However, the nature of the injury was not consistent with this.

Shortly before her family arrived, the young protester was taken out of the hospital through a back entrance.

Since then there has been no trace of her.

According to the Iranian government, she is being held in the notorious Fardis prison.

CNN could not reach her or her family members for comment.

The Iranian police are apparently following a certain pattern - are there also men among the victims?

According to the report, this procedure has a system: the demonstrators are first interrogated in police centers and then taken from one place to another, so that it is no longer possible for their families to trace where they are.

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Apparently, not only women and girls are affected by sexual violence in Iranian prisons.

CNN reports they also have testimony from a 17-year-old boy.

He claims to have been raped and electrocuted in custody after taking part in a demonstration.

Testimonies would indicate that this was not an isolated case.

The EU has meanwhile tightened its course against Iran, due to serious human rights violations and the brutal suppression of protests.

The Iranian team caused a stir at the World Cup by not singing along with the Iranian national anthem.

The regime's response was immediate.