In September 2022, the death of Mahsa Amini, a Kurdish woman who died in police custody after being detained by morality police for wearing a hijab “improperly”, sparked widespread protests across Iran. Authorities claimed Amini died of a heart attack while in custody, while her family said she was beaten. Demonstrations over his death quickly morphed into broader discontent with the regime.
In the six months since, Iranian security forces have routinely used draconian tactics to try to suppress protests, even going so far as to arrest children. In a report released Thursday, Amnesty International found that children arrested during and after the protests had been subjected to electric shocks to their bodies, had their heads held underwater, had been sexually assaulted and threatened with rape. According to the human rights organization, many children were released only after they signed letters of “repentance” and promised not to participate in further protests. The Iranian government did not respond to the report and did not immediately respond to BuzzFeed News’ request for comment.
A mysterious wave of suspected poisonings across the country has also put more than 1,000 schoolgirls in hospital. Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi, whose department is leading investigations into the poisoning reports, said in early March that 90% of hospitalizations were due to “stress and worries caused by the news.” Many Iranians have dismissed that explanation, calling Vahidi’s claim “ridiculous” and criticizing the regime for not taking action on the reports despite widespread surveillance of residents.
In a news release Thursday, the United Nations called the poisonings “deliberate” and condemned the government for failing to protect the girls and quickly investigate the cases.
“There is a stark contrast between the rapid deployment of force to arrest and imprison peaceful protesters and a months-long failure to identify and arrest perpetrators of large-scale coordinated attacks against young girls in Iran,” UN experts said.
