Gazal Marzban alleges sexual assault by Ministry of Intelligence agents

Gazal Marzban, a political prisoner currently held in Evin Prison, has released a letter detailing allegations of sexual assault by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence. Marzban, a Christian convert and trans woman, reports that the incident occurred in May 2023 after she was detained while walking in a park and transferred to an operational detention center.

According to the letter, Marzban was forced to undress before being assaulted by a masked man in a basement cell, resulting in physical injury and bleeding. She alleges that officials subsequently offered her freedom in exchange for her silence and threatened her with consequences if she spoke out.

Marzban further stated that during a subsequent 22-day detention in early 2026, she was returned to the same facility, noting that the fear of a repeat assault constituted her “greatest torture.” She reported that attempts to file formal complaints have been blocked by authorities through intimidation. Marzban was previously sentenced to over nine years in prison by the Tehran Revolutionary Court on charges including “propaganda against the regime.”