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The United Nations Fact-Finding Mission has released a report holding the Iranian government accountable for the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian-Kurdish woman who died in police custody in 2022. The report states that the government is responsible for the physical violence that led to Amini’s death and for the subsequent brutal crackdown on peaceful street protests.
Amini was arrested in Tehran for allegedly improperly wearing her hijab and was detained by the morality police. Within hours of her detention, she was hospitalized in a coma and later died. Her family has refuted claims by Iranian authorities that she had a preexisting health condition contributing to her death, stating that she was beaten while en route to the detention facility.
The fact-finding report highlights the arbitrary nature of Amini’s arrest and detention, emphasizing that the laws and policies governing the mandatory hijab in Iran discriminate against women and violate international human rights standards. The findings have been praised by human rights organizations, with the Center for Human Rights in Iran describing them as evidence of “crimes against humanity.”
The report also criticizes the Iranian government for failing to promptly investigate Amini’s death and for intimidating her family and those reporting on the incident. Amini’s death sparked widespread protests across the country, leading to a violent government crackdown that resulted in numerous deaths and injuries.
The UN report concludes that the Iranian government’s actions during the Women, Life, Freedom protests constitute serious human rights violations, including extrajudicial killings, torture, and gender persecution. Despite some state security forces being killed and injured during the demonstrations, the majority of protests were peaceful.
The fact-finding mission was carried out in response to the UN Human Rights Council’s mandate to investigate human rights violations in Iran related to the protests following Amini’s death. The report underscores the need for accountability and justice for the victims of state violence and discrimination in Iran.
