Iran’s 2022 Protest Crackdown Included Killings, Torture and Rape, U.N. Finds

Iran’s U.N. mission in New York didn’t instantly touch upon the report.

The very fact-finding crew, which was arrange on the finish of 2022, was refused entry to Iran. It stated it confronted obstacles from authorities digital surveillance, harassment and intimidation of some witnesses and victims, deterring many individuals from giving proof. However via in-depth interviews with others, together with entry to unbiased stories, medical imaging and official paperwork, the mission stated it was in a position to accumulate adequate proof to ascertain details.

It particulars patterns of using deadly and fewer deadly drive by safety forces to disperse protests, together with utilizing weapons armed with birdshot and systematically focusing on the top, face, neck and genitals of protesters, usually inflicting everlasting, life-changing accidents.

Of their crackdown, the authorities arrested tens of hundreds of individuals, together with a whole lot of youngsters, some as younger as 10, the mission stated, noting official statements that the federal government had pardoned 22,000 individuals and that the typical age of these detained was 15.

However the mission additionally unveiled proof of the torture and sexual violence directed at detainees to extract confessions and knowledge and to punish and humiliate the victims. Bodily abuse included beating, burning, electrical shocks and being held in stress positions. The sexual violence, which investigators stated was used in opposition to girls, males and youngsters, included rape and threats of rape, electrocution of genitals, compelled nudity and groping.

Youngsters have been held for days, even weeks, with out realizing the explanations for his or her detention and with out contact with their households, the investigators reported. “As with adults, they have been subjected to extreme bodily, psychological and sexual torture, together with rape.”