Twenty-two-year-old Jina Mahsa Amini was arrested and compelled right into a van by Iran’s so known as “morality police” within the capital Tehran on 13 September final 12 months. Authorities alleged she was not in conformity with the nation’s strict legal guidelines on obligatory veiling.
She died on 16 September reportedly after struggling a coronary heart assault. Her household, nevertheless, denied she had any coronary heart points and alleged she was tortured.
Failure to make sure justice
A Authorities probe into the demise fell “far brief” of worldwide requirements, together with the necessities of independence and transparency, the Impartial Worldwide Reality-Discovering Mission on Iran stated in a information launch.
“Jina Mahsa ought to by no means have been arrested within the first place,” stated Sara Hossain, Chair of the Human Rights Council-appointed mission, including that since then, the Authorities has “failed to make sure reality, justice and reparations to her household, or to households of different victims, girls, ladies and all protesters who’ve been subjected to violations of elementary human rights.”
“As a substitute, the Islamic Republic is doubling down on repression and reprisals in opposition to its residents and searching for to introduce new and extra draconian legal guidelines that severely limit additional the rights of ladies and ladies.”
Household intimated
The impartial panel additionally reported that Mahsa Amini’s father and uncle have been arrested round 10 days in the past by safety forces of their hometown Saqqez, and their whereabouts “stay unknown”.
Her grave was additionally reportedly desecrated, and members of the family prevented from mourning. The household’s lawyer and journalists overlaying her case have additionally been harassed.
Groundswell of protests
Ms. Amini’s demise sparked a wave of protests all through the nation.
The very fact-finding staff additionally stated it’s now investigating allegations that the State responded to the protests with pointless and disproportionate drive, arbitrary arrests and detentions, unfair trials, extra-judicial executions and harassment of members of the family of victims.
Such acts “proceed till right this moment”, it added.
Authorities are exacerbating punitive measures in opposition to these exercising their elementary rights, together with freedom of faith, freedom of expression and peaceable meeting, based on the impartial panel.
Elevated dangers for girls
The Reality-Discovering Mission additionally stated {that a} draft invoice, at present into account by the Parliament – if handed – would expose girls and ladies to elevated dangers of violence, harassment and arbitrary detention.
The laws proposes elevated fines and jail phrases for girls and ladies present in breach of obligatory veiling provisions, in addition to harsher punishments together with journey bans, the denial of training and medical care and sanctions in opposition to companies.
Name for cooperation
The Reality-Discovering Mission known as on the Authorities to completely cooperate with its investigations and make sure that all these affected have unhindered and secure entry to offering proof, together with referral of their circumstances.
The Authorities has till not responded to repeated requests for info, the impartial physique added, noting that it’ll current a complete report on its findings to the Human Rights Council throughout an interactive dialogue at its fifty fifth session in March 2024.
The Reality-Discovering Mission
The Reality-Discovering Mission was mandated by the UN Human Rights Council to analyze alleged human rights violations in Iran associated to the protests that started there on 16 September 2022, particularly with respect to girls and kids.
The panel consists of impartial members Sara Hossain of Bangladesh (Chair), Shaheen Sardar Ali of Pakistan and Viviana Krsticevic of Argentina.
They don’t seem to be UN workers members and serve in an impartial capability.
