IRANIAN security forces have sexually assaulted protesters in custody, including a 16-year-old, a human rights group said.
At least two protesters detailed horrific sexual abuse they were subject to by riot police, to the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN).
Police stand guard during a funeral for security forces killed in the protestsCredit: Reuters
Protesters rally in Tehran, Iran, demanding regime changeCredit: Getty
Images of people killed during the recent protets in IranCredit: Getty
Rebin Rahmani, of the KHRN, told The Guardian : “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.”
They are both being held in custody in the city of Kermanshah, Western Iran.
KHRN said at least 20 children and teens remain in custody in the Ilam, Kermanshah, and Kurdistan provinces, with protesters allegedly deprived of legal support and subjected to torture.
Widespread protests have rocked Iran for weeks – with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei enforcing a deadly clampdown in response.
The extent of violence protesters are subject to remains unclear due to the ongoing.
But Human rights groups have warned that many more protesters are likely to come forward with similar stories.
It comes after horror reports of regular rapes, beatings and torture by state police that emerged during the 2022 anti-government rallies.
But the scale could be much greater this time as an estimated 20,000 people have been detained since unrest began in late December.
The new allegations match descriptions from other human rights groups of extreme violence carried out particularly against the Kurdish minority in Iran.
At least one protester has died as a result of torture by security forces while being held in custody, according to Norwegian-based rights group Hengaw.
Soran Feyzizadeh, 40, of Kurdistand was arrested during a protest on January 7. He was reported dead just two days later.
Hengaw member Awyar Shekhi told the Guardian: “His body was barely recognizable due to the extent of injuries caused by repeated blows.”
Tehran has faced international condemnation in recent weeks.
On Monday, the World Economics Forum said Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, will not attend this years summit in Davos.
The Switzerland based NGO said in a statement on social media: “Although he was invited last fall, the tragic loss of lives of civilians in Iran over the past few weeks means that it is not right for the Iranian Government to be represented at Davos this year.”
Hours before the Swiss forum’s announcement, US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham slammed organizers for inviting the diplomat.
He said in a post on X: “Inviting the Iranian Foreign Minister to speak now would be akin to inviting Hitler to a world event after Kristallnacht.
“This decision gives tone deaf a new meaning.”
At least 5,000 people have been slaughtered during brutal clashes, Tehran claims, despite some reports suggesting the .
Among the – with the figures compiled by dozens of overwhelmed hospitals across the nation.
Horrifying reports of and relatives of the dead have emerged amid the chaos.
Last week Trump said sources told him the killings in Iran had stopped and that the mullahs’ regime would be postponing executions.
The Ayatollah has since threatened to restart mass executions and warned of “all out war” if Donald Trump intervenes in the bloody crackdown.
The Middle East had braced for US strikes on the Islamist regime after “help is on the way” after 17 days of bloody street strife.
Among those on death row was Erfan Soltani, 26, who was arrested on January 8 and given just 10 minutes to say goodbye to his loved ones before being dragged away for execution.
The freedom fighter is still alive according to his family and human rights groups.
Fears are also mounting that the total internet blackout – which was imposed on January 8 – could be extended indefinitely to keep 92 million Iranians locked away in digital isolation.
Terrified Iranians became paralysed by fear due to the mass killings, with many too frightened to step out of their homes.
An eerie sense of calm has returned to the Iranian capital and many other cities after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) ruthless killings.
Widespread protests have rocked Iran for weeksCredit: AFP
Security forces are seen during a pro-government rally in TehranCredit: Getty
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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