A recent U.N. fact-finding mission has attributed the death of Mahsa Amini in September 2022 to Iran, sparking nationwide protests against the country's mandatory headscarf laws. The report submitted to the U.N. Human Rights Council highlighted Iran's use of 'physical violence' and 'unnecessary and disproportionate use of lethal force' to suppress demonstrations following Amini's death.
The security crackdown resulted in over 500 deaths and more than 22,000 detentions. The report also revealed instances of sexual assault by Iranian security forces on detainees. Despite these findings, Iranian officials have not responded to the report.
The report's release comes amidst concerns about Iran's nuclear program, support for Russia in the Ukraine conflict, and ongoing harassment of activists. The protests, led by women and youth, were unprecedented in scale and duration, according to the report.
Amini, who died after being arrested for not wearing her hijab, was subjected to physical violence while in custody, leading to her death. The report dismissed claims of pre-existing medical conditions as the cause of her death.
The protests evolved into calls for freedom and revolt against Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian security forces were found to have used excessive force, including shooting protesters with lethal weapons without justification.
Reports of sexual violence, including rape and other forms of abuse, against detainees were also documented. The panel is continuing to investigate the death of teenager Armita Garavand and suspected poisonings targeting Iranian schoolgirls.
The report sheds light on the grave human rights violations in Iran and calls for international pressure on the Iranian government to address these issues.
