To the Commission on the Status of Women,

Since the start of Iran Revolution on September 2022, rape and sexual assault has been used widely by Iranian prison authorities as a means of torture and punishment to suppress, demoralize and blackmail protesters. It is not the first time that the Islamic republic uses rape as a tool to quell protests and to suppresses dissidents' voices. Sexual assault and rape has been used extensively by the Islamics Republic against political prisoners. 

Hereby we express our deepest concern about the rise of sexual assault on women prisoners in Iranian jails. 

Narges Mohammadi, woman human rights defender and deputy director and spokesperson of the DHRC in Iran, who has been sentenced to 16 years imprisonment, spoke out on 3 Dez 2022 about sexual abuse of inmates in Iran by Iranian prison authorities. She herself was as well victim of sexual harassment in prison. She revealed the condition in prisons after the start of Iran Revolution 2022. A new Report, published by CNN on 21 Nov 2022 corroborated the horrific sexual assaults against detainees in Iranian prisons, which have caused severe injuries in some cases. In some cases, underage children have been involved. Many jailed protesters are exposing sexual assault in Iranian prisons. Temporary marriage of inmates with prison’s guards, performing sexual acts with them, and full body exam in front of all staff and other prisoners are other concerning reports shared by the victims. 

According to the CNN, some of the rapes were filmed to put the detainees under pressure and force them to silence. 

We hereby request the commission to:

1. find ways to put pressure on the regime in Iran, in order to prevent violence against women and children imprisoned in Iran.

2. carry out an investigation in to the systematic use of various forms of violence, including sexual assault, against women and children, by Iranian prison authorities.

3. Implement protective measures for the Iranian women and children who are victims of rape and sexual assault in prisons.

4. hold Islamic Republic accountable for using sexual assault and rape against prisoners, and call for end to violence against women.

References:

1.https://www.instagram.com/p/Cls4DsDOaMB/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

2.https://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2022/11/middleeast/iran-protests-sexual-assault/index.html

3.https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/17/opinion/iran-women-rape.html