Amnesty International and Committee for Struggle for Release of Political Prisoners in Iran expose widespread violence and torture by Iranian regime against detainees

TEHRAN — In a damning revelation, two independent reports by Amnesty International and the Committee for the Struggle for the Release of Political Prisoners in Iran (CSRPPI) in Iran shed light on the alarming extent of violence and torture perpetrated by the Iranian regime against detainees and political prisoners.

Amnesty International’s latest report confirms the systematic use of violence by Iranian authorities, particularly against detained women and men who participated in protest demonstrations since September 2022. Shockingly, the report documents 45 cases of sexual violence against demonstrators across more than half of Iran’s provinces.

Agnes Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International, emphasized in the report that extensive research reveals the Iranian intelligence and security personnel’s use of sexual violence as a method of torture and punishment. The victims, including children as young as 12, suffer both physical and psychological harm.

Despite having previously submitted the report to the Iranian regime, Amnesty International has yet to receive any response.

In a related development, CSRPPI issued a separate report focusing on the alarming use of medications for torture in Iranian prisons.

The report exposes the regime’s reliance on psychoactive drugs and tranquilizers over the past four decades as a means to regulate and monitor conditions within prisons. Describing drug torture as one of the most horrific forms of abuse, the report highlights that detainees are often unaware they have been administered drugs, as they are surreptitiously added to their food and drinks.

The report underscores the urgent need for the international community to investigate cases of torture and deaths, holding the Iranian authorities accountable for their egregious crimes against political prisoners.

As these reports come to light, there is a growing call for decisive action to address human rights violations and ensure justice for the victims of the Iranian regime’s brutality.