ROMA – On the eve of the second anniversary of the start of protests in which people from all over Iran took to the streets to challenge decades of oppression and gender discrimination, Amnesty International denounced that the Iranian population continues to suffer the devastating consequences of the brutal repression of the uprising “Woman Life Freedom”, in a context of systematic impunity for crimes under international law.
So far, no investigation worthy of the name. Whether impartial and independent, no investigation has ever been carried out into the serious human rights violations and crimes under international law committed by the Iranian authorities during and after the nationwide protests of September-December 2022, such as the massive and unlawful use of force and firearms by the security forces.
Security forces used assault rifles. But also shotguns loaded with metal pellets, tear gas canisters and truncheons against people who were taking part in the demonstrations or simply watching them, killing hundreds of them – including dozens of minors – and permanently injuring many more. The authorities tried to silence the families who were demanding truth and justice for the unlawful killing of their loved ones through arbitrary arrests, unfair prosecutions, death threats and other intimidations.
A new assault on human rights. Two years on, Iranian authorities are further ramping up their assault on human rights in what amounts to a “war on women and girls,” cracking down on those who challenge Iran’s brutal forced veiling laws and increasing their use of the death penalty to silence dissent.
A disturbing reminder. “The anniversary of the uprising ‘Woman Life Freedom’ – said Diana Eltahawy, deputy director of Amnesty International for the Middle East and North Africa – is a disturbing reminder that countless people are still grappling with the consequences of that brutal crackdown. Victims, their families and survivors continue to be denied truth, justice and reparation for crimes under international law and other serious human rights violations committed by the Iranian authorities during and after the protests,”
Denialist propaganda fueled. “The Iranian authorities have spent the past two years stoking a propaganda of denial and distortion to hide evidence of their crimes and intimidating survivors and families of victims into silence. In the absence of any prospect of independent and impartial domestic investigations, it is imperative that state justice bodies launch investigations into the crimes committed by the Iranian authorities through the principle of universal jurisdiction,” Eltahawy added.
The intensification of the “war on women”. In the context of their relentless attempt to crush the powerful women’s rights movement against compulsory veiling and the uprising “Woman Life Freedom” which arose after the death in custody of Mahsa Jina Amini, in April 2024 the Iranian authorities launched the “piano Noor”, a new national campaign that has seen a visible increase in patrols of public spaces to enforce the obligation to wear the veil.
Chases of women driving without veils. This has resulted in dangerous car chases to stop women drivers without veils, mass confiscations of vehicles, arrests, whippings and other punishments that amount to torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. For example, on 22 July, police officers shot at the car driven by Arezou Badri, 31, seriously injuring her. According to media reports, the officers were trying to seize the vehicle.
Two fourteen-year-olds without hijab attacked. In August, a disturbing video circulated on social media platforms showing a group of officers attacking two 14-year-old girls who had removed their headscarves. One of the girls, Nafas Hajisharif, told the press: “They were pulling my hair, shouting and insulting me. They forced me into their van and pinned me down on the floor of the car. One officer put her knee on my throat and started beating me hard. My head was pinned between the seats and they were kicking me in the torso.”
The obsession with “moral security”. These all-out assaults to enforce the degrading and discriminatory forced veiling laws against women and girls who are demanding their rights to freedom of expression, peaceful protest, religion, thought, and autonomy are being carried out by various state bodies: the moral security police, municipal police, prosecutors’ offices, courts, the Ministry of Intelligence, the Revolutionary Guards—including the Basij forces—and plainclothes officers.
The law on the “culture of chastity”. Meanwhile, parliament is set to pass the “Law to Support the Culture of Chastity and Hijab,” which seeks to legalise the intensified attacks on women and girls who defy compulsory veiling.
The increasing use of the death penalty. Since the start of the “Woman Life Freedom” uprising, Iranian authorities have doubled down on the use of the death penalty as a tool of oppression to terrorize the population. In 2023, there were the highest number of executions in the previous eight years: at least 853. The already persecuted Baloch minority has been disproportionately affected. Since December 2022, ten men have been arbitrarily executed in connection with the protests, including Reza (Gholamreza) Rasaei, who was secretly hanged on August 6, 2024.
The ease of applying the death penalty. Death sentences are carried out after grossly unfair trials, which rely on “confessions” extracted through torture and ill-treatment, including sexual violence, and whose allegations are not independently and impartially investigated. More than ten people are facing execution or the death penalty in connection with the protests, including Mojahed Kourkouri.
Capital punishment for women for “political crimes”. The use of the death penalty against women for political crimes is also on the rise. Human rights defender Sharifeh Mohammadi and Kurdish civil society activist Pakshan Azizi were recently sentenced to death by two revolutionary courts for “armed rebellion against the state” solely because of their peaceful activities. There have been worrying reports of them being mistreated and tortured in prison. At least two other women, Wrisha Moradi and Naim Gholami Simiyari, are on trial for “armed rebellion against the state.”
Sexual violence as a weapon. For two years now, Iranian authorities have denied that people detained as a result of the protests were subjected to ill-treatment and torture, including rape and other forms of sexual violence. During the uprising, Iranian security and intelligence forces committed mass ill-treatment and torture of detainees. In December 2023 Amnesty International detailed the horrific use of rape, mass rape and other forms of sexual violence by Iranian authorities to crush protests and punish and terrorize those who took part, including children as young as 12.
The cover-up of evidence. In March 2023, the High Council for Human Rights of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which is not an independent body and is part of the judiciary, responded to Amnesty International claiming that his investigations had revealed that “in 28 of the 31 provinces no complaints of rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment had been filed”. Amnesty regularly documents how prosecutors and judicial authorities deny or cover up evidence of sexual violence, including reports by survivors.
A crisis of systematic impunity. Iranian state officials suspected of criminal responsibility for crimes under international law and other human rights violations continue to evade justice. In March 2024, the Special Committee to Examine the 2022 Protests, a non-judicial and biased body established by Iran’s then-president to support the campaign of denials, distortions and cover-ups, released a report saying that security forces had “acted responsibly” in the face of the protests.
Refusal to cooperate in establishing the truth. In April 2024, the UN Human Rights Council extended the mandate of the Fact-Finding Mission on Iran, but Iranian authorities continue to refuse to cooperate with this independent body and deny entry to its members.
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– 2024-09-12 00:34:14
