The Independent UN Fact-Finding Committee on Iran announced on Friday, March 14, that the Iranian regime continues its “systematic repression” of dissidents following the protests of 2022.
According to the UN Human Rights Council website, the committee stated in its latest report on the Iranian regime’s actions that two years and six months after the protests began in September 2022, the Iranian government continues to intensify its efforts to restrict the rights of women, girls, and those advocating for human rights.
The Independent UN Fact-Finding Committee, referring to the implementation of the so-called “Noor Plan” in Iran, noted that criminal prosecution against women opposing mandatory hijab has intensified.
The New “Hijab and Chastity” Law in Iran: A Tool for Suppression and Control
In this latest crackdown on women’s choice of clothing under the “Noor Plan,” the Iranian regime has deployed its security forces and plainclothes agents in the streets of various cities. However, despite widespread arrests, civil resistance continues.
The committee further reported that human rights defenders and women’s rights activists continue to face penalties such as fines, long-term imprisonment, and, in some cases, the death penalty for their peaceful advocacy of human rights.
This report, set to be presented to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on March 18, highlights that the government’s actions are aimed at suppressing women’s and girls’ human rights and their right to equality.
Sara Hossain, the chair of the Independent UN Fact-Finding Committee on Iran, stated that the Iranian government has refused to implement the demands for equality and justice raised during the 2022 protests.
The report further states that, beyond increasing surveillance, the government has expanded internet restrictions and extended its repressive policies beyond Iran’s borders to silence human rights defenders, including journalists.
The committee also reported that, so far, 10 male political prisoners have been executed in connection with the protests, and at least 14 other political prisoners—11 men and three women—are at risk of execution.
The committee emphasized its “serious concerns regarding the implementation of fair trial rights,” the regime’s use of “forced confessions,” and “violations of due process” within the Iranian regime’s judicial system.
In its report, the Independent UN Fact-Finding Committee stated that over the past two years, it has gathered a vast collection of evidence, including more than 38,000 documents, and conducted interviews with 285 victims and witnesses.
The report once again confirms gross human rights violations and crimes against humanity in Iran. It highlights further cases of sexual violence against female protesters, including gang rape, as well as the deaths of protesters, which the government has described as “suicides.” Additionally, it examines the widespread use of mock executions of detainees, which amounts to torture.
