Armita Abbasi
Armita Abbasi | |
|---|---|
| Born | 2001 Karaj, Iran |
| Occupation | Activist |
| Known for | Detention during 2022 Iranian protests; allegations of sexual assault in custody |
Armita Abbasi (; born 2001) is an Iranian activist who was detained on October 10, 2022, in Karaj, Iran, amid widespread protests against the Islamic Republic. One week following her arrest, hospital personnel and CNN reported that she endured multiple sexual assaults, a claim denied by Iranian officials who attributed her condition to intestinal ailments. It is alleged that government security forces forcibly removed her from the hospital. Her situation has attracted global media scrutiny, emphasizing issues of sexual violence and oppression within Iranian detention facilities. By February 2023, Abbasi had been released from incarceration.
History
During the Mahsa Amini protests, Armita Abbasi publicly voiced criticism of the Iranian regime via social media platforms. She was apprehended on October 10, 2022, in Karaj. Her family stated that she was unaccounted for eight days while held by authorities. After enduring a week of physical and psychological abuse, including repeated sexual violations by government agents, she was transferred on October 18 to Imam Ali Hospital in Karaj. Her parents were unable to visit her there as she was reportedly taken away by security personnel to an undisclosed location.
Medical documentation confirmed multiple instances of violent sexual assault occurring during her hospitalization. Reports also noted that her head was shaved by security forces during this period. In November 2022, CNN corroborated the repeated sexual abuse allegations. Although Iranian security forces' use of systematic rape and sexual violence has been documented over several years, Abbasi’s case received heightened international attention.
Officials escorting her to the hospital insisted that her medical report indicate the assaults happened prior to her detention. The Chief Justice of Alborz province rejected claims of assault. Security forces threatened her family to coerce them into participating in a televised interview asserting she was hospitalized due to "bloody diarrhea," which the family declined. According to Nasim News, public concern intensified regarding Abbasi’s status; the Alborz Chief Justice acknowledged her arrest and hospitalization for intestinal issues but returned her to Fardis prison after only 24 hours.
On October 29, Iranian authorities accused Abbasi of being “the leader of the riots” and alleged that “10 Molotov cocktails” were discovered in her residence. The Iranian newspaper Jam-e Jam challenged CNN’s investigative findings and supported the government’s explanation attributing her hospitalization to intestinal problems.
As of December 2022, Abbasi reportedly engaged in a hunger strike while imprisoned. Following over 100 days in detention, she was freed in February 2023 and reunited with her family.
Impact
In November 2022, Abbasi featured prominently in a CNN investigative piece on sexual assault against detainees in Iran, identified among eleven verified cases. Ned Price, spokesperson for the United States Department of State, publicly called upon the United Nations to respond promptly after the report’s release.
Abbasi’s social media presence often included wearing a Star of David necklace, which garnered attention from the global Jewish community despite her not being Jewish.
Within Iranian diaspora circles, especially in Germany, Abbasi has become a symbol during protests. German lawmaker Carmen Wegge actively advocated for her liberation. In October 2024, following a three-month period evading capture with assistance from the German group The Munich Circle e.V., Abbasi arrived safely in Munich where she currently resides securely.