Iran's Dark Secret: Child Prostitution and Sex Slaves

Reporters Uncensored (RUTV) : Behind the Global Web series

-- Zach Schubert

While the world was watching the election battle in Iran, unspeakable things were happening behind many doors in towns and cities across the country. The election got out attention and Iran's impassioned citizens kept it. Now secrets are starting to seep out from an overflowing cesspool of vile where miscreants thrive.

As part of our continuing focus on Iran, this week RUTV will explore the sexual trafficking of girls. In a recent report by the U.S. State Department, Iran was listed among the dozen countries with the poorest record of human trafficking. In recent years, child prostitution has risen 635 percent in the country, and dozens of Iranian girls are brought to Arab countries, Pakistan and Bangladesh to be sold as sex slaves every day. Most of these girls are raped within 24 hours of their departure, according to government officials.

In Tehran, there are an estimated 84,000 women and girls in prostitution, many of them are on the Streets, others are in the 250 brothels that reportedly operate in the City. Thousands more are trafficked abroad, landing as far away as France, Germany and the United Kingdom. Many of these are runaways from Afghanistan and Pakistan who flee abuse and poverty at home in search of legitimate work in Iran.

Other girls are sold into prostitution under the guise of a short-term marriage, or sigheh, which is permitted under Shari'a law in certain Shia schools. These marriages can last anywhere from one hour to several years, depending on a fixed contract. Under Shari'a, these marriages require the written consent of both parties. The reality, however, is that the contract is often brokered on behalf of the husband.

So far, Iran has demonstrated an abysmal lack of effort towards reigning in sexual trafficking. When brothels are brought down, the people most often punished are the girls themselves. Unwilling to distinguish between consensual intercourse and rape, officials will torture and execute girls for violating Iran's standards of behavior. In one particular case cited in the State Department report, a 16 year old girl was hanged after being accused of "engaging in acts incompatible with chastity."

Says the report, the religious judge who ordered the execution later received a letter of congratulations from the town's governor, thanking him for his "firm approach."

Further, officials themselves have been accused of running child prostitution rings. In one prominent sting operation, several government officials and security officers were arrested during raids on at least five houses used as brothels around the town of Neka in northern Iran. Officers from Iran's State Security Forces and Islamic Revolutionary Council have been arrested in brothels on multiple occasions.

One tragic consequence of prostitution in Iran has been a spike of HIV/AIDS infection in recent years. HIV awareness education is minimal there compared to in the West, and many who become infected are afraid to seek help. The Iranian government has vastly undertreated and under-reported cases, considering the disease a taboo that points towards sex outside of marriage.

Joining us via Skype this week is Nahid Persson, director of the documentary Prostitution Behind the Veil. The film features the story of two young prostitutes in her native Iran. It has been widely honored, recieving an International Emmy nomination, as well as the Golden Dragon at the Krakow Film Festival and Best International News Documentary at the TV-festival 2005 in Monte Carlo. Tala will be asking her perspective on the situation of child prostitution in Iran, as well as ways to get involved in stopping it.

We're live at 6pm (EDT) Wednesday and on demand a www.livestream.com/reportersuncensored.

 

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Comments

[MARNIE2]

This is absolutely a sad story , I'm sure this go's on around the world. The pertration of the violent atrocity's placed on the women-[girls] is systematic to the Sick -[BEHAVIOR OF MEN] =ADDICTIVE
THE POWR & FORCE OVER WOMEN TO INSLAVE THEM IN A SEX-SLAVE -HELL !- Is Shameful
ANY-GOVT that can turn-their -heads to this crime against any women is as RESPONSIBE ALSO !

[Brewerstroupe]

If this writer feels free to cite reports nearly 10 years old in support of his argument, this, from 2005 might also be considered:

"Israel women trafficking soars
....The report described how the women are sold at public auctions for as much as $10,000 and forced to work up to 18 hours a day.

On average the women receive only three percent of the money they earn from prostitution, the report said.

Most of the women are from the former Soviet Union.

Many are raped and beaten as they are smuggled into Israel over the Egyptian border, the inquiry found.

London-based rights group Amnesty International and the US State Department have also reported an alarming increase in prostitution rings in Israel. "
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4380067.stm

The beam in one's own eye or just more "let's bomb Iran" propoganda?

[wereeverywhere]

Nice try at misdirection. Now maybe you could find other countries that hang gays, have show trials and fraudulent elections. Unfortunately that's not hard enough. The fact that IRI isn't alone is about the lousiest defense that there is. The big difference right now is that there's a mass freedom movement there that's been awakened that still simmers just under the surface.

"The beam in one's own eye or just more "let's bomb Iran" propoganda?"

Paranoia is another crummy defense of reactionary dictatorships. The last thing we need is Iranians being bombed which would probably squelch the movement among other nasty things.

[pkafin]

So you see the reporting of tragic stories of sexual abuse of children in Iran as an opportunity to cite criticism of Israel? Israel is not mentioned anywhere in this story.

You dishonor the victims whose stories are being related in this article by using them only as a way to discredit an unrelated third party. Seems quite crass when I think about it.

Is your antipathy towards Israel greater than your sympathy for anyone else?

[oldGunny]

Thanks for getting this out. I am appalled.

[Deparis]

Really? Do you know how many prostitutes and other street-walkers and strippers there are in colleges and high schools in your state? Careful not to live in a glass house and throw...