ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A Kurdish female blogger detained in mid-March during the US-Israel war with Iran was severely tortured by Iranian authorities, a human rights watchdog said on Sunday, amid rising concerns over the number of arrests carried out during the conflict.
Hadis Haghighi, 21, was arrested in her family home in Urmia, in Iran's West Azerbaijan province, in March, according to the Norway-based Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, which monitors human rights violations in Iran and in particular the Kurdish areas in the west of the country, known as Rojhelat.
In a report published Sunday, the watchdog said Iranian authorities had subjected Haghighi “to severe torture,” adding that she has remained in custody “under unclear conditions” since her arrest.
"Sources said she has been subjected to physical and psychological pressure during detention and faces serious security-related charges," Hengaw said, noting that "Haghighi has been denied access to a lawyer and family visits throughout her detention."
"Her social media account has also been blocked."
Haghighi's arrest came as Iranian intelligence agencies and the police have detained thousands of ordinary Iranians merely for taking photos and videos of the airstrikes during the six-week war and have accused them of working with the "enemies," a charge that could carry the death penalty in Iran.
According to the Iranian government, at least 1,500 individuals were arrested in March at the apex of Iran’s war with the US and Israel. The Iranian state has attributed the arrests to espionage and connection to the “enemy.”
Spokesperson of the Iranian judiciary, Asghar Jahangir, said in March that individuals accused of spying and cooperating with “hostile states” may face death penalty or property confiscation, adding that they have already issued around 200 indictments.