Amnesty International:

A recent revelation by satirical cartoonist Atena Farghadani that she was forced to undergo a “virginity and pregnancy test”, prior to her trial for a charge of “illegitimate sexual relations” for shaking hands with her lawyer, has added another stain on Iran’s shameful record of violence against women, Amnesty International said today.

In a note written by Atena Farghadani leaked from prison, which has been seen by Amnesty International, she says the judicial authorities took her to a medical centre outside the prison on 12 August 2015 and forced her to submit to the tests, purportedly with the purpose of investigating the charge against her.

“It is shocking that on top of imposing a ludicrous charge on Atena Farghadani for the ‘crime’ of shaking hands with her lawyer, the Iranian authorities have forced her to undergo a ‘virginity and pregnancy test’,” said Said Boumedouha, Deputy Director of Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Programme.

“In doing so, the Iranian judicial authorities have truly reached an outrageous low, seeking to exploit the stigma attached to sexual and gender-based violence in order to intimidate, punish or harass her.”

Truth be told, this savagery by the Islamist fascists –“reformers” and all- is nothing new. It dates back to the early days of these uber-misogynist barbarians taking power in Iran. Systematic Raping and other sexual crimes has always been one of the tools of the Islamist fascists used against Iranian women as well as men.

However, by keeping quite, Iranian society and particularly the opposition in exile, have a share of the blame. When victims of this savagery step up to the plate, it is essential to help them get their message across and understand their tremendous bravery to break the taboo.

Sanction works, U.S. Senate, get to it