A UN-appointed expert stated before the Human Rights Council on Monday that Iranian authorities have committed violations in recent months that may amount to crimes against humanity, citing cases of deliberate killings, imprisonment, enforced disappearances, torture, rape, sexual violence, and persecution. Special Rapporteur Javid Rahman, who is concerned with the human rights situation in Iran, told the UN council that the scope and gravity of the crimes "suggest the likelihood of international crimes, particularly crimes against humanity."
Rahman noted that approximately 527 people have been killed during protests, including 71 children, with some victims allegedly beaten to death by security forces. He quoted Iranian doctors as saying that bullet shots targeted the faces of women and girls, as well as their breasts and genitals.
Rahman added, "Released children spoke of sexual assaults, threats of rape, flogging, electric shocks, being submerged in water, and being hung by their arms or by scarves wrapped around their necks." He expressed anger over the execution of at least four individuals linked to the protests, mentioning that a total of 143 people have been executed in the country since January following "egregiously unfair trials."
Iranian Ambassador Ali Bahreini argued that the allegations are fictitious and stated that the council is targeting his country, adding, "They try to portray their fantasies as the reality of the situation in Iran." It is noteworthy that Iran has witnessed widespread protests since the death of Iranian-Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini while in custody of the morality police last September.
