According to a UN fact-finding mission, Iran is to blame for the “physical violence” that resulted in Mahsa Amini’s death.
In 2022, a 22-year-old passed away while in police custody after being arrested for reportedly not following regulations regarding women wearing the headscarf.
Protests erupted in response to her passing, unprecedented in the nation’s history.
The UN mission discovered that security forces used excessive lethal force against protesters.
According to rights groups, over 500 individuals lost their lives in the crackdown.
No comment was provided by Iran on the report, as they have consistently denied any involvement in Ms Amini’s death.
According to a report by the UN, Mahsa Amini was taken to Iran’s Vozara detention facility for a “re-education class”, but fainted after 26 minutes and was then transferred to a hospital 30 minutes later.
According to a UN human rights expert, evidence indicated that she passed away due to beatings. Officials dismissed the claim and the state coroner in Iran stated that her death was due to pre-existing medical conditions.
The fact-finding mission has confirmed the presence of evidence of trauma to Ms Amini’s body, which occurred while in the custody of the morality police. This, combined with the “patterns of violence by the morality police,” fulfilled the mission that resulted in Ms. Amini being subjected to physical violence that ultimately caused her death.
Following Ms Amini’s funeral in the western city of Saqqez, protests erupted as women showed solidarity by removing their hijabs. Protests have erupted in various parts of Iran, as women have been seen burning their headscarves and demonstrators are demanding a change in the country’s leadership.
The UN fact finding mission reported that the authorities utilised shotguns, assault rifles, and submachine guns against demonstrators, resulting in unlawful and extrajudicial killings.
It was discovered that demonstrators were frequently targeted with deliberate shots to the eye.
The victims sustained permanent injuries, leading the report to suggest they were identified as protesters through these marks.
Security forces described women’s demands for equality and non-discrimination as a “willingness to get naked” and “spreading immorality”, according to the report.
As per the report, a number of detainees experienced sexual violence such as rape, threats of rape, forced nudity, groping, and electrocution of their genitals.
The report mentioned that security forces utilised certain methods to exploit social and cultural stigma related to sexual and gender-based violence in order to instill fear and shame.
“These acts are part of a widespread and systematic attack aimed at the civilian population in Iran, specifically targeting individuals who have called for freedom, equality, dignity, and accountability,” stated Sara Hossain, chair of the UN inquiry, calling on the Iranian authorities to stop the repression.
Experts predict that the UN report will not influence the policy of the Iranian government, which is controlled by ultra conservatives.
According to reports, a decrease in voter participation during the recent elections in Iran reflects the disillusionment of the population with the political system.
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