"Murder, torture and sexual abuse" - Shocking report on Iran

2026-09-17 20:01:20Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

"Murder, torture and sexual abuse" - Shocking report on Iran

Iranian security forces coordinated the killing, torture and sexual abuse of hundreds of people who participated in the 2022 nationwide protests, according to an Amnesty International report, based on leaked documents and survivor testimonies.

Protests erupted in September 2022, following the death in custody of 22-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini, arrested by the morality police over allegations that she had not respected hijab rules.

In response to the protests, Iranian authorities launched a brutal crackdown. According to documents released by Amnesty, state structures had issued instructions for a “strong and harsh” response. In one leaked order, forces were instructed to act “without mercy,” even to the point of causing death.

Amnesty said it had verified the deaths of 377 protesters and bystanders, including 56 children. The organization also documented the cases of 16 people allegedly raped during arbitrary detention in connection with the protests.

The victims included women, men and children. According to the report, the sexual abuse was carried out during interrogations and detentions, using various tools and body parts of the perpetrators.

Similar evidence had been collected earlier by international media. Doctors had reported that Iranian forces shot protesters in the face, chest and genitals, causing serious and potentially permanent injuries.

Amnesty's report emphasizes that impunity for the suppression of the 2022 protests created the conditions for an even more brutal response to the anti-government protests of January 2026, during which, according to the organization, thousands of protesters were killed within 48 hours.

Amnesty International Secretary General Agnès Callamard said the investigation reveals the "chain of command and coordination" behind the suppression of the protests.

"Agents on the ground operated within a hierarchical and coordinated chain of command, which linked them to officials who directed, enabled, facilitated and supported crimes committed on a massive scale," Callamard stated.

Amnesty has identified 87 Iranian officials, including the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and former Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Mohammad Bagheri, as persons who should be investigated for crimes against humanity.

Also included on the list are former Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi, who later became commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, as well as former Deputy Interior Minister for Police and Security, Majid Mirahmadi.


Video