The UN special rapporteur for human rights in Iran called on Thursday for the rapid creation of an international mechanism to investigate serious violations in the country, reinforcing the request that he be allowed to enter Iranian territory.
Speaking at a press conference at the UN headquarters in New York, Javaid Rehman said now is the time for the international community to act, while the Iranian people “have not given up hope.”
“I ask the community to establish an international mechanism to investigate all these abuses. (…) All these deaths are too many and the international community must act now on accountability, with the establishment of an international investigation mechanism.” the UN,” Rehman appealed.
“How many times can these people be brutalized? How many times can their fundamental freedoms be violated? Iranian women don’t want to be subjugated, they see the world, they see the world changing. The Iranian authorities, as brutal as they are, don’t “We can stop these people, these women. Now is the time to act. There is a risk that these people will lose hope and that would have serious consequences for these people.”
Iran has been facing intense protests since the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman who was detained and violently beaten by the “Moral Police” for wearing her hijab (Islamic veil) too loosely, leaving part of her hair exposed.
Her death sparked protests in dozens of cities across the country’s 80 million people, with young women marching through the streets publicly exposing themselves and cutting their hair. The Iranian government reacted with a strong crackdown, blaming the demonstrations on foreign interference.
According to the UN rapporteur, Amini “is a victim of brutality and state repression.”
Javaid Rehman detailed that since the death of the young woman on September 16, Iranian entities have issued many reports about what led to Amini’s death. However, all were rejected by the young woman’s family, who asked for independent doctors to carry out the evaluation, which has been denied.
“The investigations did not meet the minimum requirements of impartiality and independence,” said the UN rapporteur.
“She was not the first, nor will she be the last, victim of this type of violence. We have received numerous reports of similar situations. In addition, at least 27 children have been killed by the Iranian authorities since the protests began and at least 250 deaths have been recorded,” he stressed.
Rehman criticized the fact that his calls for impartial investigations and accountability were not met.
Responsible for reporting on the human rights situation in Iran, Rehman lamented that he has not yet been allowed to enter the country, something that would be key to observing developments on the ground.
“I have not been allowed to visit the country since I took office, but neither have my predecessors. If the Iranian leaders are listening to me, I should be allowed, I want to be there, to be able to see and answer all their questions,” Rehman appealed, adding that the Iranian government considers their reports biased.
The rapporteur stressed that there has been a global condemnation of all the brutality recorded in Iran, but stressed that this is not enough, “we must go further.”
“What I ask is that you join an international investigative mechanism to investigate these serious violations. It is very important that the UN and the international community take concrete steps to hold the perpetrators of these violations to account,” he reiterated.
Rehman also addressed the Iranian authorities’ crackdown on journalists and internet blockade, calling it an “abuse of power” in an attempt to limit freedom of expression.
“Dozens of journalists have been arrested since the start of this wave of protests. Journalists are the target of this Iranian brutality,” he stressed.
Source: TSF
