Human rights experts: Crimes against humanity in Iran
Published: Friday, Mar 8th 2024, 14:40
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The violent repression of peaceful protests and institutional discrimination against women in Iran constitute crimes against humanity in some cases, according to human rights experts. During the protests in September 2022 and afterwards, people were killed, disproportionate violence was used, people were arbitrarily deprived of their freedom and there was torture and rape, according to a report published in Geneva on Friday. It comes from the independent commission of experts set up by the UN Human Rights Council in November 2022 to clarify the events, partly at the instigation of Germany.
In the fall of 2022, the death of the young Kurdish woman Jina Mahsa Amini triggered the most serious protests in the history of the Islamic Republic. For months, young people in particular took to the streets to demonstrate against the Islamic system of rule. Amini is said to have worn her headscarf incorrectly, was arrested by the notorious morality watchdogs and died shortly afterwards. The commission concludes that physical violence after the arrest led to her death.
According to the report, 551 demonstrators are believed to have been killed by security forces during the subsequent protests, most of them by gunfire. Security forces were also injured, but the protests were largely peaceful. "These acts are part of a widespread and systematic attack against civilians in Iran, particularly women, girls, boys and men who have been demanding freedom, equality, dignity and accountability," said Sara Hossain, chair of the commission of inquiry.
The detainees included hundreds of minors, including children under the age of ten. The detainees were tortured in captivity in order to extract confessions. There had been gang rapes and torture with electric shocks to the genitals. At least nine men were executed between December 2022 and January 2024.
The highest state authorities had encouraged the security forces to commit human rights violations. Because Iran has a history of systematic impunity for human rights violations, the commission encouraged other countries to find ways to bring perpetrators to justice, including through their domestic courts.
©Keystone/SDA
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