Iran accused of sex assaults on teenage prisoners, while families charged to recover remains of loved ones

Reports allege that Iranian authorities have sexually assaulted teenage prisoners and are charging families up to 10 billion rials to recover the bodies of protesters killed during recent unrest. The accusations come as the Iranian government claims to have quelled the protests, which began in late December due to public anger over political repression, economic hardship, and state violence. According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), over 26,000 people have been arrested, and the number of confirmed fatalities has reached 4,902. The Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) reports that families are being threatened and pressured to blame protesters for the deaths. The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI-US) claims detainees are being killed and their bodies burned.