Iranian Actor Pejman Jamshidi Arrested on Charges of “Kidnapping and Rape” – Growing Crisis of Sexual Violence in Iran
According to reports from Iranian state media, a 20-year-old woman has filed a complaint accusing Pejman Jamshidi — former player of Iran’s national football team and a well-known film and television actor — of kidnapping and sexually assaulting her.
The case has been officially registered under the charges of “kidnapping and rape” and, due to what authorities described as “the sensitivity of the case and its connection to the cultural sphere,” the trial is being handled by Tehran’s Culture and Media Court.
The first hearing took place behind closed doors on Monday, October 20, attended by both the plaintiff and the defendant, and preliminary investigations are ongoing at Tehran’s Criminal Court and the Criminal Prosecutor’s Office.
Jamshidi was reportedly transferred to Unit 3 quarantine at Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj on Tuesday, October 21, following a decision by the court to convert his bail into detention. He has formally objected to the ruling.
Colonel Namak Shenas, head of Tehran’s Police Information Center, told domestic media:
“The case began after a 20-year-old woman came forward, claiming that the well-known actor deceived her and sexually assaulted her.”
According to the report, the woman alleged that Jamshidi initially approached her under the pretext of offering collaboration in film projects, but later forced her into a private location and assaulted her. The kidnapping charge is being reviewed by Tehran’s Criminal Prosecutor’s Office, while the rape charge is being processed by the Tehran Criminal Court No. 1.
A Broader Pattern of Sexual Abuse
This high-profile case comes amid a growing series of sexual assault scandals involving Iranian men in sports and entertainment.
Earlier, in spring 2025, a court in South Korea issued arrest warrants for four Iranian athletes, accused of raping a 20-year-old Korean woman in a hotel in the city of Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province. Police detained two Iranian athletes and a coach at the scene, and further investigations revealed the involvement of a fourth Iranian participant, leading to the arrests of all four.
Meanwhile, in Iran itself, studies and human rights reports have repeatedly shown that sexual assault and rape—particularly against women and minors—remain a pervasive yet underreported crisis.
A comprehensive national study revealed that nearly 20% of Iranian women have experienced sexual violence at least once in their lifetime.
Human rights organizations have further documented cases of sexual torture and assault against female and male detainees, especially during protests and political crackdowns, suggesting that sexual violence has become a systemic tool of intimidation and repression within Iran’s security and judicial apparatus.
Experts say that social stigma, fear of retaliation, weak legal protection, and the absence of independent investigations have created an environment where perpetrators often enjoy impunity and victims remain silenced — turning sexual violence in Iran into a deep-rooted and systemic human rights crisis.
