Iranian Woman Arrested For Hijab Removal, Sexually Harassed By Agents
A 20-year-old woman, who was arrested and detained for not observing the mandatory hijab, has reportedly been sexually harassed by the Iranian regime’s agents.
Tabassom Jamalpour, who was arrested on July 17 for publishing a photo of herself without the compulsory veil in front of a religious mourning procession center, has been subjected to physical abuse and sexual harassment whist in a “safe house”, according to reports by Iran Prison Atlas.
The reports allege that agents forced her to remove her clothes, saying "You should be naked like the picture you published..." before beating and stripping her and touching her breasts.
Jamalpour was then transferred to Ward 209 of Evin Prison, where she endured consecutive days of interrogation. The charges brought against her include "insulting Islam" and "spreading corruption and prostitution."
At the time of her arrest, another woman who was also not wearing a headscarf and a man wearing shorts were also detained. Their whereabouts and well-being remain unknown.
There have been a spate of accounts of violence and sexual abuse against detainees, particularly during the uprising of Iranians against the clerical regime following the death in custody of Mahsa Amini.
In February 2022, the Guardian published a report quoting 11 male and female protesters saying that they were "raped, sexually assaulted, beaten and tortured" by the security forces of the Islamic Republic during their detention.
