Iran: A coalition of organisations urges the UN human rights body to continue its investigation into human rights violations

Since the protests started in 2022 following Jina Mahsa Amini's death, thousands of people, including children, have been subjected to abusive interrogations, arbitrary detention, unjust prosecution, and suspension or expulsion from education or employment for peacefully exercising their human rights. Intelligence and security bodies have continued to target family members of those unlawfully killed during the protests for seeking truth and justice for their loved ones' killing. At least nine people have been arbitrarily executed in connection to protests following grossly unfair trials. As a response, the Human Rights Council established an independent international fact-finding mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran (FFMI) to thoroughly and independently investigate alleged human rights violations related to the protests that began on 16 September 2022, especially for women and children. In its recent report, the FFMI found persistent abuse, some that "amount to crimes against humanity... committed as part of a widespread and systematic attack directed against a civilian population, namely women, girls and others expressing support for human rights."

The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran (Special Rapporteur) takes a similar view. In its newest report, Javaid Rehman deplores the brutal response of the Iranian authorities to these protests and asks for accountability. Since its establishment in 2011, the country's rapporteur has been essential to engage with Iranian authorities and to make potentially life-saving urgent appeals and other communications, which include seeking to halt imminent executions and improve the circumstances of detained individuals and their access to urgent medical care. In a context marked by extremely repressive tactics to deny civic space, this mandate also draws attention to the voices of survivors, victims and their families, human rights defenders and others seeking truth and justice. Over the past decade, the Special Rapporteur's findings and recommendations have proved critical in steering and informing the efforts of UN bodies and member states to encourage Iran's authorities to uphold their human rights obligations and hold them accountable.

Given the critical work of the FFMI and the Special Rapporteur, we are calling for the extension of the FFMI's mandate and the renewal of the Special Rapporteur's mandate.

To read the Open Letter, click here.