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Iran: Human Rights Violations Continue

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NCRI Staff

NCRI – Iran Human Rights Monitor has compiled a report detailing the human rights situation in Iran for the month of January 2018.

Last month, there was a huge crackdown on protesters. At the end of December, the people of Iran took to the streets because of the poor economic situation that is caused by the regime’s mishandling of the nation’s wealth. The protests quickly turned into anti-government demonstrations. The security forces violently supressed the protesters and there were at least 50 deaths. The report also indicates that more than 8,000 protesters were arrested.

The report mentioned that teargas and water cannons were used to disperse crowds and unarmed protesters were shot at. Plainclothes agents went from home to home to arrest people and there have been reports of detainees being tortured “to the brink of death”. There have also been accounts of detainees being put into freezer rooms to force confessions out of them.

There have also been dozens of young people that have forcibly disappeared. The families gathered outside several prisons but were dispersed by prison authorities who used air shots and tear gas.

The total number of protesters that have been killed by torture is at least 12. Iranian officials have denied the claims that they were tortured and said that the deaths were attributable to suicide or drug use. Families have given accounts of their loved ones being covered in injuries.

Other violations of human rights include the beating of a woman by more than 50 security agents when she was seen filming the demonstration at the Golsar Intersection in the northern city of Rasht. Furthermore, a large number of protesters that were thrown in jail were denied legal representation.

Prisoners have also been threatened. Revolutionary Guards Corps forces told political prisoners in Rajaie Shahr Prison in Karaj that “if anything happens, none of you will get out of prison alive”.

Iran Human Rights Monitor listed the names of 17 people known to have been executed during the month of January. Several of the victims were minors that the time of their alleged crimes. The Iranian regime ignored calls from UN human rights officials to halt the execution of Amirhossein Pourjafar who was only 16 when he was sentenced to death. Once again, the Iranian regime went against international standards that do not, under any circumstances, allow the death sentence to be handed to anyone under the age of 16.

A prisoner in the Central Prison of Mashhad had his hand amputated by guillotine and the Judiciary Spokesperson Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’I said that this should serve as a warning to anyone that creates insecurity in society. Another arbitrary punishment was handed to a young taxi driver who was given 80 lashes for drinking wine.

As well as the thousands of arrests of protesters, 28 men and eight women were arrested in January for participating in a mixed gender party. Six models were arrested and two music group leaders were detained after a surprise attack. There were also 21 underground singers arrested.