Protesters tell of rapes, beatings and torture by police

Human rights organisations report an escalation in the brutal treatment of detainees at the hands of security forces

- Deepa Parent and Ghoncheh Habibiazad

On the evening of 15 October 2022, when street protests in Iran after the death of Mahsa Amini were at their peak, 25-year-old Dorsa* was stopped at a checkpoint while driving through a city in the northern Gilan province.

The checkpoint was chaotic; 25 to 30 heavily armed security officers were shouting and screaming at people to get out of their vehicles.

Dorsa was with her sister and two male friends. Their car was searched and when two cans of spray paint were found in her sister’s bag, all hell broke loose.