A new wave of arrests of youth, families, and supporters of MEK across the country

Torture and ill-treatment, long hours of interrogation, and mock execution, to break prisoners to make forced confessions and participate in propaganda TV shows.

Torturers and interrogators particularly insult young women and girls and inflict more severe physical, psychological torture.

The arrests were made in Tehran, Mashhad, Neyshabur, Kermanshah, Sabzevar, Arak, Kashan, Mahshahr, Bushehr, Marvdasht, Amol, Ahvaz, Andimeshk, Rasht, Behbahan, Isfahan, Gorgan, Karaj, Tabriz, and Shiraz simultaneous with a demonization campaign by Nejat Associations in Iran and their affiliates abroad.

In recent weeks, terrified of the expansion of the activities of the Resistance Units and the new wave of popular uprisings, the regime’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) and the IRGC Intelligence Organization have begun arresting and summoning large numbers of young activists, especially the families and supporters of the Mojahedin-e Khalq (MEK). Many have been sent to prisons, and some have been temporarily released on bail while signing a form pledging not to participate in any anti-regime activities.

The arrests have been in Tehran, Mashhad, Neyshabur, Kermanshah, Sabzevar, Arak, Kashan, Mahshahr, Bushehr, Marvdasht, Amol, Ahvaz, Andimeshk, Rasht, Behbahan, Isfahan, Gorgan, Karaj, Tabriz, and Shiraz in parallel with a demonization campaign conducted by the Nejat Organizations at home and their affiliates abroad. MOIS, IRGC or their plainclothes agents raid people’s homes or offices and beat up those detained. They also confiscated the victims’ phones, computers, and many of their personal belongings and valuable items.

Those arrested have been subject to several hours of interrogation, accompanied by torture and physical and mental pressure. According to those who have survived the arrests, the detentions and interrogations were only focused on obtaining information about the MEK and the Resistance Units, the relationship between the detainees and the MEK, and why and how young people have been attracted to MEK.

In Mashhad, interrogators set up a mock execution scene to break the resistance of a group of ten young detainees to force them to confess and/or discover their possible connection to the MEK.

In Tehran, the torturers and interrogators, harass and harshly insult the detained young women and girls aiming to break them, and force them into making false confessions and to participate in ridiculous television interviews and shows. Witnesses report of admirable resistance of many of the detainees.

At the same time, the clerical regime’s intelligence services try to call and message the youth to warn and intimate them against having any connection to or voicing any support for the MEK.

Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), once again called on the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Special rapporteur on violence against women, and international human rights organizations to deploy international delegations to visit the regime’s prisons and meet with political prisoners, and recently arrested people especially women.

Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI)
May 24, 2020