Human rights violations in Iran are “the most serious” the country has seen in the past four decades, according to the UN Special Rapporteur on Iran. Javaid Rehman, presenting a new report before the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva, on Monday denounced possible “crimes against humanity” in this country, in particular after the death of Mahsa Amini , who had been arrested for violating the dress code.
“The scale and gravity of the violations committed by the Iranian authorities, particularly since Amini’s death, suggest that international crimes have been committed, including the crimes against humanity of murder, imprisonment, enforced disappearances, torture, rape and sexual violence, and persecution,” he added.
Hundreds of people killed
In his report, the Rapporteur, who is mandated by the HRC but does not speak on behalf of the United Nations, underlined that the death of Mahsa Amini “is not an isolated event, but the latest in a long series extreme violence committed by the Iranian authorities against women and girls”.
“The responsibility of senior officials (…) cannot therefore be ignored,” he told the HRC, which, at the end of November, opened an international investigation into the repression of the demonstrations, in order to gather evidence of violations and possibly prosecute those responsible. “Protesters, including children, were beaten to death,” said Rehman, who cited figures of at least 527 people killed, including 71 children, and hundreds seriously injured.
acts of torture
He also pointed to acts of torture committed against children in detention, and the arrest of dozens of human rights defenders, including at least 600 students, 45 lawyers and 576 civil society activists.
Iranian authorities have so far executed at least four people in connection with the protests and sentenced at least 17 protesters to death while more than 100 face charges that could carry the death penalty, according to the Rapporteur.