Human rights group says 16-year-old sexually assaulted in custody in Iran

A 16-year-old was among protesters who were sexually assaulted in custody by security forces in Kermanshah, western Iran, during the nationwide uprising, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) said. Two people, one of them a child, detained in the city of Kermanshah told the KHRN that they were subjected to sexual abuse by riot police during their arrest.

"During the transfer, security forces touched their bodies with batons. They beat and applied pressure to the anal area with a baton through the clothing," said Rebin Rahmani, of the KHRN, which has been in contact with sources close to the minor’s family. Due to the ongoing communication blackout in Iran, neither the rights group nor the Guardian have been able to get further information on the current conditions of the individuals.

Rights groups have expressed fear about the treatment of more than 20,000 protesters estimated to have been arrested since the start of protests in late December. During nationwide protests in 2022, detainees reported rapes, beatings and torture by police, with one woman telling the Guardian she had been blindfolded and sexually assaulted by her interrogators.

Since the start of the current protests in late December, 3,766 people have been killed and 8,949 other reported deaths are under investigation, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.

Key Topics

World, Security Forces, Kermanshah, Iran, Khrn, Abdorrahman Boroumand Center