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Detainees Face Rape and Torture in IranRecent popular protests in Iran, like the 2022 ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ uprising, were celebrated internationally as the world saw images of peaceful marchers standing up to a repressive government. But more hidden has been the brutal efforts Iranian authorities have taken to repress this dissent – and the horrific abuses experienced by some of the thousands of protesters they have locked away. Detainees told Human Rights Watch that security forces have used rape, torture, and sexual assault to punish protesters and obtain false confessions. These tactics are not new in Iran. Security forces also use them to repress and further stigmatize ethnic minorities in the country. Abuse in Detention A university student from Sistan and Baluchistan province told Human Rights Watch that in October 2022, security forces arrested her, along with approximately 20 other women, after they protested and shouted anti-government slogans. They beat the women so severely during their arrest that one woman lost consciousness. A Kurdish woman we spoke to said that in November 2022, two men from the security forces raped her while a woman agent held her down to facilitate the assault. In another case, a 30-year-old man from East Azerbaijan province said he was blindfolded and beaten along with other protesters, and that he was gang raped with another man by security forces in a van in October 2022. One woman who experienced sexual violence from security forces attempted suicide, while another required surgery for her injuries. Ongoing Crimes Human Rights Watch has previously reported cases of Iranian security forces’ use of torture and sexual assault against men, women, and children, as well as suspicious deaths in detention. Authorities did not provide medical treatment or basic hygiene supplies to those assaulted by security forces and have not investigated these cases or held anyone accountable. Many survivors who have been able to flee Iran need physical and psychological help, and the countries they fled to should meet their needs. These brutal accounts of rape and torture underscore again the need for accountability and justice in Iran. |
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On the Upside |
Dominica High Court Decriminalizes Same-Sex Conduct In a historic judgment, the Dominica High Court decriminalized consensual same-sex relations. Dominica becomes the fourth Eastern Caribbean country to strike down discriminatory legal provisions and decriminalize gay sex, following Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Barbados. |
EU Parliament Approves Supply Chain Law The European Parliament vote this week to approve the proposed European law, which would require large companies to prevent and remedy human rights and environmental abuses in their global supply chains, is a step forward for corporate accountability. |
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