Five Transgender Individuals Arrested and Coerced into Confession

In Tehran, five transgender citizens were arrested following a quarrel with a religious vigilante who targeted them for their attire. The footage of their coerced confession has recently been released by security-affiliated media.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Hamshahri, five transgender citizens were apprehended in the Afsariyeh district of Tehran.

The incident unfolded when a self-proclaimed religious enforcer took it upon themselves to interfere with these citizens, citing the religious duty of “enjoining good and forbidding wrong,” ultimately resulting in the arrest of these transgender individuals. Consequently, legal action has been taken against them.
The recently published video captures their forced confession, in which they express remorse for their behaviour and appearance. The identities of these individuals remain unknown at present.

Recognition of transgender identity in Iran is solely contingent upon undergoing state-supported sex reassignment surgery. Additionally, there are instances where homosexual individuals are coerced into undergoing such surgeries to alleviate legal and social pressures.

Police Refuse to Record Transgender Individual’s Complaint

Tehran police refused to record the complaint of a transgender who was assaulted and beaten by two individuals.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting BBC Persian, a transgender Individual who was assaulted by two was denied justice by the police.

A video published by BBC Persian showed a transgender being assaulted and scolded by a woman at a shopping mall in Tehran. Then, a man assaulted her and crashed her phone.

Despite abundant pieces of evidence, the police refused to file her complaint.

In Iran, transgender individuals are subject to daily discrimination, harassment and violations. Transgender identity is only recognized through state-supported sex reassignment surgery. In some cases, homosexual individuals are pressured to go through sex reassignment surgery to avoid legal and social pressure.