Leaked Documents Give Glimpse of Repression in Iran

A 16-year-old girl who disappeared during Iran’s 2022 uprising was raped before being killed, according to classified documentation leaked by a hacktivist group.

"During the genital examination, indications of rape or forcible sexual activity were apparent," the head of the country's Forensic Medicine Organization said in a confidential letter addressed to the Supreme National Security Council. 

The document was released by the Edalat-e Ali hacktivist group after they infiltrated servers of the Islamic Republic's judiciary.

Nika Shakarami disappeared during a street protest in Tehran on September 20, 2022. 

Her family spent days searching for her in prisons, detention centers, police offices and hospitals.

On September 29, the police told the relatives that a body which bore a resemblance to the girl was at a detention center's morgue.

The Islamic Republic cracked down hard on the monthslong protests sparked by Mahsa Amini’s death while she was in police custody for an alleged hijab violation.

More than 500 people were killed and over 22,000 others were unlawfully detained in the clampdown, activists say. 

The leaked documents touch upon a wide range of topics, including discussions within the Supreme National Security Council in the wake of Amini's death, crackdowns on unlicensed VPN providers and investigations into economic corruption.

They also show how the authorities have tried to control celebrities using financial sanctions, travel bans and other punishments.

According to the documents, 29 actors, actresses and football players faced accusations of "propaganda activities against the Islamic Republic" and "collusion with the intention of acting against national security."

A 2019 document signed by Mohammad Mehdi Heydarian, who headed the Joint Working Group on Celebrity Management and an advisor to the Minister of Culture, outlines a comprehensive strategy involving various government entities and tasked with monitoring and regulating public figures. 

The leaked documents also revealed that a report regarding the filing of a case against US-based activist Masih Alinejad and 28 other political figures was submitted to the Tehran prosecutor.

Citing Alinejad's advocacy against mandatory hijab, the document describes Alinejad as a “serious” opponent to the Islamic Republic and "a leading cultural enemy" of the government who enjoys considerable support among dissidents. 

Other leaked documents are related to the prosecution of officials from the Ministry of Health accused of "disrupting domestic vaccine production."

The documents reveal the arrest of eight documentary makers associated with the Green House Institute.

Additionally, the deputy prosecutor of Tehran's 33rd district arrested photographer Ali Kaveh and summoned several others for allegedly establishing a network of domestic photographers involved in "a project funded by an American institution."

The case of Sharmin Maimandinejad, the former CEO of Jamiat Imam Ali Foundation, and his travel ban are also mentioned in the documents.

Currently residing in the UK, Maimandinejad is accused of "misling people and promoting his anti-religious and anti-government beliefs in exchange for charitable donations."