Mary Lawler: Interrogators threatened Iranian women's rights activists with rape and death
UN Special Rapporteur Mary Lawler reported that Iranian women's rights activists have been threatened with rape and death by interrogators.
Mary Lawler, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders, expressed concern over the arrest of six women's rights activists in Iran, saying: "Reports indicate that these individuals were threatened with sexual assault during interrogation."
Yesterday, Monday, July 15, Mary Lawler posted a message on the X social network, referring to the long prison sentences handed down to women's rights activists, writing: "They were violently arrested, tortured, and threatened with death and sexual assault during interrogations."
Jelveh Javaheri, Azadeh Chavoshian, Negin Rezaei, Forough Sami'nia, Shiva Shahsiah, and Matin Yazdani are among the women's rights activists who were transferred to Rasht's Lakan Prison on August 14 to serve their prison sentences. They, along with Zohreh and Zahra Dadras, Sara Jahani, Yasmin Heshdari, and Hooman Taheri, were sentenced to more than 60 years in prison in a case related to their activities in August 1402.
Security agencies arrested these activists in the cities of Rasht, Fouman, Anzali, and Lahijan on August 15, 1402. A day after their arrest, the General Intelligence Directorate of Gilan Province issued a statement saying: “The detainees were planning and taking action to incite chaos and sabotage on the anniversary of the Mahsa uprising in Gilan and Kurdistan.”
After serving two months in prison at different times, they were temporarily released from Lakan Prison in Rasht after posting bail. According to published information, during the interrogation, in addition to being tortured and held in solitary confinement, they were subjected to humiliation, swearing, abuse, and sexual assault by the interrogators, and were threatened with transfer to a mental hospital, flogging, and execution. Among the aforementioned individuals, Forough Sami'nia and Hooman Taheri were even subjected to mock executions.
According to statements from the families of the aforementioned individuals regarding the torture inflicted on them, in addition to agents from the Ministry of Intelligence, judges also played a major role in torturing these prisoners.
Based on the verdict issued by the Third Branch of Rasht Revolutionary Court, headed by Judge Mehdi Rasekhi, Zohreh Dadras was sentenced to 9 years, 9 months, and 2 days in prison, Sara Jahani, Azadeh Chavoshian, Yasmin Hashdhari, Zahra Dadras, Negin Rezaei, Forough Sami’nia, Shiva Shahsiah, and Matin Yazdani were each sentenced to 6 years, 1 month, and 17 days in prison, and Jelveh Javaheri and Hooman Taheri were each sentenced to one year in prison. The charges brought against them are “membership in an anti-regime group,” “gathering and colluding with the aim of disrupting national security,” and “propaganda against the regime.” The court cited the membership of some of these individuals in a Telegram group to attribute the charge of “membership in an anti-regime group.”
Regarding the sentences issued against these women's rights activists, Mary Lawler called on the authorities of the Islamic Republic to immediately release these prisoners and end the repression of women's rights activists.
