Iran: Rape used as a means to quell protests

Rape is being used systematically by Iranian security forces to deal with the now three-month-old protests against Tehran's regime, with women leading the charge, according to a detailed CNN report that includes facts and testimony.

According to an investigation conducted by eight journalists from the American network, Iranian authorities routinely arrest female protesters and transport them to special locations where they are subjected to individual or even gang rape, in a method that does not appear to be the exception of some callous officer, but rather a rule that appears to have some guidance from those in high places, the investigation concludes.

Testimonies of women interviewed by CNN reporters provide chilling details of extreme situations behind closed doors, with the goal of "correcting" female protesters, who are sent to other cities after being forced to satisfy the sick appetites of members of the regime's security forces. Given that many of the harshest protests by the authorities occur in Iran's Kurdish regions, women protesters who are arrested are transferred to non-Kurdish provinces.

Initially, images of women being abused by security forces on the street before and after their arrests circulated on social media. Following that, numerous reports and testimonies emerged from female protesters who, after being interrogated, reported being raped, as well as testimonies of a minor boy being raped.

Furthermore, in some cases, the rape of female protesters is filmed and then used as a form of blackmail to ensure the silence of the women, who are then released - while others, like Mahsa Amini, are not fortunate enough to survive detention by security forces. This was the catalyst for the protests.

According to hospital sources, numerous cases of women arriving in recent weeks for treatment under the care of men in civilian clothing, bearing obvious signs of torture and rape but muted due to the terror inflicted on them by the Iranian authorities, have been confirmed to CNN.