BBC Reports Obtaining Confidential Documents Related to Iranian Government
Recent Crackdown on Hijab Enforcement Sparks Flood of Detentions and Assault Testimonies
Confidential documents leaked to the British BBC reveal that a teenage girl who participated in the 2022 anti-government protests was sexually assaulted and murdered by three men affiliated with the Iranian security forces. The documents appear to have been prepared by the Iranian security forces.
On the 1st (local time), BBC reported through a report prepared by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) that Nika Shakarami, who went missing during the anti-hijab protest held in Tehran on September 20, 2022, and was found dead after ten days, was sexually assaulted and then murdered. Marked as "Top Secret," the document contains interrogation records from a disciplinary committee convened by the IRGC targeting those involved in the Nika case.
Teenage girl Nika Sharakarim who participated in the 2022 anti-government protests [Photo source=X (formerly Twitter)]
The document states that one of the three men sexually harassed Shakarami, that Shakarami, handcuffed, kicked the man in retaliation, and that the men then beat her with batons. The report also concluded that a fight broke out in the cargo compartment due to the sexual assault, and that Nika died as a result of attacks by the team members. It also notes, "Three batons and three taser guns were all used. It is unclear which one delivered the fatal blow."
The report concluded that a fight broke out at the scene due to the sexual assault, and that Nika died as a result of attacks by the team members. This contradicts the official government explanation. Nearly a month after Shakarami's funeral, Iranian state TV broadcast an investigation result stating that Shakarami died after falling from a building.
On Sunday, April 28, 2024, protesters attended a rally in Berlin, Germany, opposing the death sentence given to a popular rapper in Iran. Tumaz Salehi (33) was sentenced to death earlier this week by an Iranian court on charges of supporting the Women, Life, Freedom movement that emerged after the 2022 protests in Iran. [Photo by AP·Yonhap News]
BBC also focused on whether the report is genuine, as so-called "fake Iranian official documents" have been circulating. Regarding this, BBC confirmed the details through multiple sources, including former Iranian intelligence officers, and stated that they are confident the document they verified is authentic. They added that they requested confirmation of the facts from the IRGC and the government but received no response.
Earlier, in November 2022, CNN reported that women arrested during anti-hijab protests in Iran were repeatedly sexually assaulted by police officers and other authorities. At that time, CNN met with sexual assault victims, human rights organizations, and hospital officials near the Iran-Iraq border in western Iran, and analyzed social media accounts of related individuals, claiming that there were at least 11 cases of authorities sexually assaulting protesters.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
