UN mission denounces increased repression against women and girls in Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini

She says Tehran has “intensified” its efforts “to suppress women’s fundamental rights” over the past two years.

September 13 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The United Nations fact-finding mission to Iran on Friday accused the authorities of stepping up repression against women and girls following the death in custody two years ago of Mahsa Amini, a young woman detained by the “morality police” in the capital, Tehran, for allegedly wearing her veil incorrectly.

The mission said in a statement that Tehran “has stepped up its efforts to repress the fundamental rights of women and girls and crush women’s activism initiatives” following the wave of protests unleashed after Amini’s death on September 16, 2022.

She said that “although protests have decreased over the past two years, the incessant rebellion of women and girls is a constant reminder that they still live in a system that relegates them to the category of ‘second-class citizens’.”

“Since April 2024, the authorities have increased repressive measures and policies through the Nur Plan, which encourages, approves and supports human rights violations against women and girls who do not respect the mandatory use of the ‘hijab’,” the UN commission of inquiry noted.

In this regard, he added that the security forces “have increased existing patterns of physical violence”, while the authorities “have increased surveillance” regarding compliance with the dress code “both in the public and private spheres”, including the use of drones.

“The ‘Hijab and Chastity’ bill is in its final stages of being approved by the Guardian Council,” she warned, before specifying that it contemplates harsher penalties for women who do not comply with the dress code, including “exorbitant fines”, “longer prison sentences”, “restrictions on work and educational opportunities” and “travel bans”.

She also denounced the “apparent new pattern” of death sentences for women activists for crimes related to “national security”, while stressing that there is still no “meaningful accountability” for human rights abuses committed by the authorities.

“Without deterrent measures against the State in the face of increasing violations against women and girls, there is no realistic hope that victims and survivors will be able to fully and meaningfully access the fundamental rights and freedoms to which they are entitled and which Iran has an obligation to respect and guarantee,” the mission argued.

The UN called on Tehran to halt the executions of protesters and announce a moratorium on capital punishment with a view to its abolition, while calling for an end to “all repressive policies and institutional measures adopted and designed to repress women and girls and perpetuate violence and discrimination against them.”

The commission has also called on UN member states to increase their efforts to “achieve justice for victims” and to expedite asylum applications and provide humanitarian visas to victims of human rights violations, especially those suffering serious injuries or facing persecution, particularly women and children.