Amnesty International: The Virginity Test on Atena Farghadani is a Form of Torture

Amnesty International states that the forced 'virginity and pregnancy' tests on Atena Farghadani, a imprisoned painter, accused of 'illicit sexual relations' for shaking hands with her lawyer, is another 'shameful' instance of violating women's rights in Iran. The human rights organization asserts that from the perspective of international law, 'virginity testing' is a form of violence and discrimination against women and is considered 'torture' under Article 7 of the 'International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,' which Iran signed in 1975. Amnesty International identifies Ms. Farghadani as a 'prisoner of conscience.' The organization's director for the Middle East and North Africa has called for independent and transparent investigations into the allegations of torture and mistreatment against Ms. Farghadani and for the prosecution of those responsible. Raha Bahreini, a researcher on Iran at Amnesty International, also told Radio Farda that in the organization's view, conducting 'virginity and pregnancy tests' on this prisoner is humiliating and constitutes torture and violence against women. The World Health Organization has urged all countries to refrain from conducting 'virginity tests' under any circumstances and for any reason. Atena Farghadani, an Iranian painter and cartoonist, has been detained since 2014, partly for drawing a cartoon of parliament members. She previously told the Jaras website that her critical drawings and her connections with the families of victims of the Green Movement and Baha'is were the main focus of her interrogations. Ms. Farghadani and her lawyer, Mohammad Moghimi, have also been tried in secret on charges of 'illicit non-committal relations.' Ms. Farghadani has been sentenced to 12 years and 9 months in prison. Various global organizations, from 'Amnesty International' to the 'Global Cartoonists Network,' have called for her release. Atena Farghadani, when released from her initial detention by the Revolutionary Guards, reported in an online video about the installation of 'surveillance cameras in the toilets and bathrooms' of Ward 2-A of the Revolutionary Guards. The trial of Atena Farghadani has been reflected in global media, with human rights organizations protesting her prison sentence and awarding her a global courage prize.