DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran is responsible for the “physical violence” that led to the death of Mahsa Amini in September 2022 and sparked nationwide protests against the country’s mandatory headscarf, or hijab, laws and its ruling theocracy, a U.N. fact-finding mission said Friday.
The stark pronouncement came in a wide-ranging initial report submitted to the U.N. Human Rights Council by the Fact-Finding Mission on Iran.
It also found that the Islamic Republic employed “unnecessary and disproportionate use of lethal force” to put down the demonstrations that erupted following Amini’s death, and that Iranian security forces sexually assaulted detainees.
The monthslong security crackdown killed more than 500 people and saw over 22,000 detained.
There was no immediate comment on the report from Iran. Iranian officials did not respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press on the mission’s findings.
The release of the report is unlikely to change the trajectory of Iran’s government, now more firmly in the hands of hard-liners after a low-turnout vote last week put them back in charge of the country’s parliament.
However, it provides further international pressure on Tehran amid wider Western concerns about its advancing nuclear program, Iran’s arming of Russia in Moscow’s war on Ukraine and the continued harassment and imprisonment of activists, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi.
“The protests were unprecedented because of the leadership of women and youth, in their reach and longevity and, ultimately, the state’s violent response,” the report says.
Amini, 22, died on Sept. 16, 2022, in a hospital after her arrest by the country’s morality police over allegedly not wearing her hijab to the liking of the authorities. She was brought to Iran’s Vozara detention facility to undergo a “re-education class,” but collapsed after 26 minutes and was taken to a hospital 30 minutes later, according to the report.
Iran has denied being responsible for her death or that she had been beaten. At times, authorities have pointed to a medical condition Amini had from childhood after a surgery. The U.N. report dismissed that as a cause of her death.
The panel “has established the existence of evidence of trauma to Ms. Amini’s body, inflicted while in the custody of the morality police,” the report says.
“Based on the evidence and patterns of violence by the morality police in the enforcement of the mandatory hijab on women, the mission is satisfied that Ms. Amini was subjected to physical violence that led to her death,” it said.
The report stops short, however, of blaming anyone specifically for harming Amini.
The protests that followed Amini’s death started first with the chant “Women, Life, Freedom.” However, the protesters’ chanting and cries soon grew into open calls of revolt against Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The U.N. report found Iranian security forces used shotguns, assault rifles and submachine guns against demonstrators “in situations where there was no imminent threat of death or serious injury” to them, “thereby committing unlawful and extrajudicial killings.”
It also found a pattern of protesters being shot intentionally in the eye.
“The mission notes the deterrent and chilling effect of such injuries, as they permanently marked the victims, essentially ‘branding’ them as protesters,” the report says.
Some of those detained faced sexual violence, including rape, the threat of rape, forced nudity, groping and electrocution of their genitals, according to the report.
“The security forces played on social and cultural stigma connected to sexual and gender-based violence to spread fear and humiliate and punish women, men and children,” the report says.
The panel also acknowledged it continued to investigate the 2023 death of teenager Armita Garavand, who died after falling on the Tehran Metro in what activists allege was an attack over her not wearing a hijab.
Geravand’s parents appeared in a state media video at the time saying a blood pressure issue, a fall or perhaps both contributed to their daughter’s death.
“In actions reminiscent of Ms. Amini’s case, the state authorities took measures to obfuscate the circumstances leading to Ms. Garavand’s death,” the report says.
It also noted a suspected spate of poisonings targeting Iranian schoolgirls, without drawing conclusions on what transpired in the incidents.
A recent United Nations report has confirmed Iran’s responsibility for the death of Mahsa Amini, a young woman who died as a result of physical violence at the hands of Iranian authorities. The report, released by the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, details the circumstances surrounding Amini’s tragic death and highlights the systemic issues of violence against women in the country.
Mahsa Amini, a 37-year-old woman, was arrested by Iranian authorities in October 2020 for participating in a protest against the mandatory wearing of hijab in Iran. While in custody, she was subjected to severe physical violence, including beatings and torture. Amini’s family reported that she was severely injured during her detention and was denied access to medical treatment. She was eventually released from custody but succumbed to her injuries shortly after.
The UN report confirms that Amini’s death was a direct result of the physical violence she endured while in custody. It also highlights the broader issue of violence against women in Iran, where women are routinely subjected to discrimination, harassment, and violence by both state and non-state actors. The report calls on the Iranian government to take immediate action to address these systemic issues and ensure accountability for those responsible for Amini’s death.
The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran has urged the Iranian government to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into Amini’s death, hold those responsible accountable, and take concrete steps to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. The report also calls on the international community to support efforts to promote and protect human rights in Iran, particularly the rights of women and marginalized groups.
The tragic death of Mahsa Amini serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing human rights abuses in Iran and the urgent need for action to address these issues. It is imperative that the Iranian government takes immediate steps to end violence against women and ensure justice for victims like Amini. The international community must also continue to pressure Iran to uphold its human rights obligations and protect the rights of all its citizens.
