According to the New York Post, new shocking allegations have brought to light horrific crimes against women who took part in anti-government protests in Iran. Female detainees are reportedly gang-raped by police officers, subjected to brutal torture, and some have even undergone removal of their uteruses in order to cover up acts of sexual abuse.
Testimonies from victims
A source inside Iran who spoke to NewsNation said that male and female detainees face daily violence, sexual abuse and torture at the hands of groups of masked police officers.
“They rape men and women in prisons. The people who are arrested are not fed, they are beaten, their nails are pulled out and they are bitten,” the source said. “Detainees are killed every day by the government,” the source added.
Another Iranian refugee alleged that she and other detainees were subjected to gang rape at gunpoint and turned into “sex slaves,” while enduring humiliating remarks about their political beliefs.
Mutilations to conceal crimes
According to the same source, some women who were returned to their families had their uteruses removed so that acts of abuse could not be investigated. Many families reportedly avoided pursuing legal action, fearing further suffering and retaliation.
A photograph that was released allegedly shows the body of a detainee from Bojnord with “clear signs of torture and trauma” when she was returned to her relatives 25 days after her arrest.
Photographer Shaghayegh Moradiannejad, who fled Iran five years ago, stated that torture and sexual abuse are long-standing practices of the regime. “During interrogations they squeeze breasts, use vulgar and degrading language and commit sexual violence,” she said.
Number of victims and international concern
Iranian authorities have reportedly arrested more than 50,000 people suspected of participating in the protests, including students, children, lawyers and doctors. More than 7,000 people are said to have been killed in the crackdown, while many remain missing.
The international community has expressed serious concern. Former U.S. President Donald Trump warned that these massacres, combined with Iran’s failure to reach a new agreement over its nuclear program, could trigger immediate military action. The regime in Tehran threatened that any intervention would lead to full-scale conflict.
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