Feb. 10 – A government document which reported that two women had been raped by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) while being detained during the country’s current anti-regime protests was leaked to media outlet Iran International this week.
The internal document, shared by Iran hacktivist group Ali’s Justice, said an 18-year-old and a 23-year-old woman had been raped by IRGC officials.
The two men later admitted to having intercourse with the women, and were arrested after the report was shared with Iran’s prosecutor general. The men, who claimed the women had consented, were later released without charge. The document went on to advise that the report be labelled ‘top secret’ and closed without any mention of the IRGC.
US lawmakers submitted a resolution in support of Iran’s protesters which called for a democratic government inside Iran, and asked European allies to expel its Iranian diplomats.
The resolution received support from Republicans and Democrats, signaling a growing consensus around concerns about the regime’s governance of Iran.
And detained human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, said people in Iran wanted regime change, despite a lull in protests following a spate of state-sanctioned executions connected to the demonstrations.
Speaking to CNN’s Christian Amanpour on Wednesday, Sotoudeh, who is currently on furlough at her home in Tehran, said that people were still angry and wanted a referendum.
Iran’s government has responded to the current wave of anti-government protests which began in September by arresting more than 20,000 people, including 179 children. Four young men connected to the protests have been executed and more than 500 people, of which 71 were children, have been killed by Iran’s security forces.
