The teenager was allegedly sexually abused by several protesters while in the custody of Iranian security forces during a nationwide uprising that has claimed thousands of lives, The Guardian reported, citing a human rights organization.
Two individuals, including a 16-year-old, detained in the western city of Kermanshah told the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) that they were sexually abused by riot police officers during their detention.
“During the move, security forces touched their bodies with batons. They beat and put pressure on the anal area with the baton through their clothes,” KHRN’s Rebin Rahmani said. The Guardian.
Over 20,000 Iranian activists detained
Advocacy organizations have expressed deep concern over the fate of more than 20,000 Iranian activists believed to have been detained since the demonstrations began in late December 2025.
During the 2022 protests, prisoners documented incidents of rape, physical assault, and torture by law enforcement; said one victim The Guardian she was blindfolded before being sexually abused by her interrogators.
Since the beginning of these current protests, 3,766 people have been killed, and another 8,949 victims are currently being investigated, according to the US Human Rights Activists News Agency. Hengaw, a Kurdish rights group in Norway, reported that Sholeh Sotoudeh – a pregnant resident of Langarud – was killed along with her fetus when soldiers opened fire on protesters in northwestern Iran on January 10.
In the latest unrest, Hengawa said at least one activist, 40-year-old Soran Feyzizadeh, died of injuries sustained during torture in prison. The group noted that Feyzizadeh was detained during a rally on January 7 and relatives were informed of his death two days later.
“His body was barely recognizable due to the extent of the injuries caused by the repeated blows,” said Awyar Shekhi of Hengaw, who added that the family had to “pay a high amount just to get his body from the authorities”.
“The city (Saqqez in western Iran) has been militarized and movement has been completely restricted,” the relative said. “I wanted to be with my family during this time, but they didn’t allow it. They didn’t allow anyone to be with our family. They killed him. They killed Soran so brutally,” said a close relative of Feyzizadeh. The Guardian.
KHRN’s Rebin Rahmani said they were verifying two other deaths in custody allegedly caused by security personnel, involving a woman from Kermanshah and a man from Marivan.
A permanent shutdown of the Internet blocked direct communication with domestic protesters. Meanwhile, the US-based Abdorrahman Boroumand Center has identified more than 549 detainees, including 51 women, who have been transferred to Yazd Central Prison, raising serious concerns for their safety.
