State-sponsored and Institutionalized Violence against Women and Girls in Iran

NCRI Women's Committee

With the International Day to Eliminate Violence against Women and Girls approaching, we’re shedding light on the disturbing reality of violence against women and girls in Iran. It’s crucial to underscore that what women endure isn’t just sporadic; it’s state-sponsored and institutionalized violence.
Those opposing the regime face vicious violence. Last year, the regime callously killed young women on the streets, surrounding and fatally beating them with batons. Nika Shakarami, Sarina Esmailzadeh, Sarina Saedi, Mahak Hashemi, Ghazaleh Qassemi, Sadaf Movahhed—just a few among many who met this fate.

Kidnappings and abductions of female protesters, even doctors aiding them, resulted in rape and torturous deaths. Dr. Ayda Rostami's family revealed her horrifying injuries—her eye enucleated, nose and cheek bones smashed.

It's meant to instill fear and deter protests, rather than addressing the public's grievances. Repression and economic crises persist, fueling discontent, yet these brutal methods are the regime's response.

They knowingly pay the price for freedom. Like the previous generation who resisted the regime's repression in the 1980s. Thousands of women from the opposition MEK and other groups were killed under torture or executed by firing squads. From 10 and 13 years olds to elderly mothers, and pregnant women. This ruthless history persists in today's methods of torture, echoing the regime's brutal past, impacting Iran's history and fostering a spirit of resistance among the younger generations.