Armita was arrested in October and was missing for 8 days until the security forces took her to the hospital. According to hospital staff, doctors, and her medical records, Armita had been tortured, repeatedly raped, and sexually abused. She was taken back to prison only after 24 hours.

In early January, she went on a hunger strike to protest the postponement of the court session and her condition in prison, which she ended after a few days under pressure with the promise that her situation would be clarified soon.

Armita Abbasi is just one example of countless young Iranian women who came to the streets to get their basic rights and after being arrested, faced one of the darkest aspects of the Islamic regime.

Risk of Execution

Young protesters Javad Rouhi, Mehdi Mohammadifard, and Arshia Takdastan (18) are at risk of execution in Iran following grossly unfair trials in connection with protests in Noshahr, Mazandaran province. Amnesty International reported on January 27.

Authorities subjected them to beatings, floggings, electric shocks, suspension, death threats, and sexual violence to extract “confessions”. This report states: 

“Javad Rouhi suffered rotator cuff injuries, urinary incontinence, digestive complications, and mobility and speech impairment while Arshia Takdastan sustained a broken toe and experienced memory loss. According to information gathered by the organization, Mehdi Mohammadifard sustained a broken nose and rectal bleeding as a result of rape. They were denied access to a lawyer during the investigation phase and access to a lawyer of their choosing at trial, consisting of a session lasting under an hour for each.”