Key facts
- Iranian security forces "coordinated" the killing, torture, and sexual abuse of hundreds of protesters in 2022.
- Amnesty International verified the deaths of 377 protesters and bystanders, including 56 children.
- 16 detainees were reportedly subjected to rape, including six women, seven men, a 14-year-old girl, and two boys.
- Leaked documents show orders for a "firm and severe" response, including "causing death."
- Amnesty identified 87 Iranian officials, including Ali Khamenei, for investigation into "crimes against humanity."
Iranian security forces "coordinated" the killing, torture, and sexual abuse of hundreds of people during the 2022 women-led nationwide protests, according to a report by Amnesty International. The findings are based on leaked state documents and interviews with participants.
Tens of thousands of people, including children, protested across Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman, who died in custody after being arrested by the "morality" police for alleged hijab violations. In response, the Iranian state initiated a severe crackdown, with leaked orders instructing forces to "respond mercilessly and go as far as causing death."
Amnesty verified the deaths of 377 protesters and bystanders, including 56 children. The report also documented cases of rape among 16 detainees, comprising six women, seven men, a 14-year-old girl, and two boys aged 16 and 17. The sexual assaults reportedly involved penetration with various objects and agents' body parts.
Testimonies gathered by The Guardian corroborated these findings, with reports of security forces shooting female protesters in sensitive areas and sexual assaults during interrogations. Amnesty suggests that years of impunity for the 2022 crackdown contributed to a more brutal response in subsequent anti-government protests in January 2026.
Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International's secretary general, stated that the investigation reveals the "layers of command and coordination" behind the authorities' actions, linking street agents to officials who "directed, enabled, facilitated and supported crimes committed on a massive scale."
Amnesty identified 87 Iranian officials, including the late supreme leader Ali Khamenei and former chief of the general staff of the armed forces Mohammad Bagheri, who should be investigated for "crimes against humanity." The report also named Ahmad Vahidi, then minister of interior, and Majid Mirahmadi, then deputy minister of interior for police and security.