\n
Women in Iran have told the BBC how their online activity has been spied on by the authorities, leading to arrests, threats and beatings.<\/b><\/p>\n
Iran stepped up surveillance following nationwide women-led anti-establishment protests, after the death in police custody two years ago of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was arrested for allegedly not wearing her hijab properly.<\/b><\/p>\n
Warning: The following article contains descriptions of violence. Some names have been changed to protect individuals\u2019 identities.<\/i><\/p>\n
Like many of the women inspired by the protests, Alef posted a photo on social media revealing her hair flowing freely in public. It was a simple act of solidarity with the movement against the forced wearing of the hijab.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t really care enough to hide who I am or where the photo was taken,\u201d she said. \u201cI wanted to say, \u2018we exist\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
But the picture was seen by the authorities, which were trying to crush the protests, and Alef was arrested.<\/p>\n
She says she was blindfolded, handcuffed and taken to an unknown location where she remained in solitary confinement for nearly two weeks. She was also interrogated multiple times.<\/p>\n
In one interrogation, she says her inquisitors tried to force a confession out of her. She was made to hand over her phone to masked guards, who went through her social media posts and photos. Pictures showed she had participated in protests and that she had been shot at by security forces with pellet guns. Her interrogators also accused her of working for the US.<\/p>\n
Alef was charged with, amongst other things, \u201cappearing in public without a hijab\u201d and \u201cpromotion of corruption and fornication\u201d.<\/p>\n
She was found guilty and although she was given a suspended sentence, she also received 50 lashes.<\/p>\n
\u201cA male officer told me to take off my coat and lie down,\u201d she said. \u201cHe was holding a black leather whip and started hitting me all over my body. It was very painful but I didn\u2019t want to show weakness.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her story was similar to that of two other women and and one man we spoke to in Iran. Each told us they were detained and summoned to court for committing \u201cpropaganda against the state.\u201d They all received suspended prison sentences. Alef received both a suspended prison sentence and lashes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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