Amnesty International on the Second Anniversary of Nationwide Protests: Impunity for 'Perpetrators of International Crimes' Continues in the Islamic Republic

On Wednesday, September 21, Amnesty International issued a statement marking the second anniversary of the 'Women, Life, Freedom' protests following the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police, emphasizing that 'people across Iran stood against decades of oppression and gender discrimination.' The organization stressed that 'systematic impunity for perpetrators of international crimes in Iran' continues despite the 'brutal repression' of the people. It noted that there has been no effective, impartial, and independent criminal investigations into serious human rights violations and international crimes, including the widespread and unlawful use of force and firearms by security forces, committed by Islamic Republic officials during the nationwide protests from September 25 to December 2022. The statement also mentioned that security forces used military weapons, shotguns loaded with metal pellets, and tear gas canisters, and severely beat protesters with batons. Amnesty International added that these actions led to the killing of hundreds of protesters and bystanders, including dozens of children, and caused irreparable harm to many others. The organization further stated, 'Officials have attempted to silence families seeking truth and justice for the deaths of their loved ones through arbitrary detentions, unfair prosecutions, death threats, and ongoing harassment.' The Persian section of Voice of America has published numerous reports over the past two years regarding the pressures exerted by the security and judicial apparatus of the Islamic Republic on detainees and the families of victims seeking justice for those killed in the protests. The Amnesty International statement also noted that over the past two years, officials have intensified their attacks on human rights and have waged a war against women and girls through increasingly violent repression of those challenging discriminatory mandatory hijab laws, while also increasing the use of the death penalty to silence protests. Diana Tahavi, Deputy Regional Director of Amnesty International for the Middle East and North Africa, stated, 'The anniversary of the Women, Life, Freedom uprising is a painful reminder for many people in Iran who continue to suffer from the consequences of the brutal repression by officials,' adding, 'Victims, survivors, and their families remain deprived of access to truth, justice, and reparations for international crimes and other serious human rights violations committed by Islamic Republic officials during and after the uprising.' Ms. Tahavi added, 'In the past two years, Islamic Republic officials have launched a widespread propaganda campaign to deny and distort reality to conceal evidence of their crimes and have threatened survivors and the families of victims to silence them.' She emphasized that 'given the lack of independent and impartial investigations within the country, it is essential for countries to initiate criminal investigations into the crimes committed by Islamic Republic officials through their prosecutorial offices and under the principle of universal jurisdiction.' Amnesty International also highlighted in a section of its statement titled 'Escalation of the War Against Women' issues such as the ongoing efforts to suppress the powerful women's rights movement against mandatory hijab, the increased presence of foot patrols, motorbike patrols, police cars, and vans enforcing hijab laws in public spaces, the issuance of flogging and prison sentences for opponents of mandatory hijab, the shooting of Arzu Badri's vehicle, and the beating of 14-year-old Nafas Hajisharif by government forces. The 'increased use of the death penalty' was another issue mentioned by Amnesty International in its statement. According to this statement, since the 'Women, Life, Freedom' uprising, Islamic Republic officials have intensified the use of the death penalty, resulting in the highest number of executions in the past eight years recorded in 2023. The statement emphasized that Islamic Republic officials have used the death penalty as a tool to suppress and intimidate the people, including the persecuted Baluch minority, which has been disproportionately affected by executions relative to its population. Amnesty International stated: 'Islamic Republic officials have used the death penalty as a tool to suppress and intimidate the people.' The organization emphasized that executions were carried out after 'severely unfair show trials' based on 'confessions' obtained under torture and other ill-treatment, including sexual violence, adding: 'Complaints of torture have not been subject to independent and impartial official investigations.' Currently, at least 12 individuals, including Mojahid Korkor, Sharif Mohammadi, and Pakhshan Azizi, are at risk of execution or sentencing. The organization noted concerning imprisoned women like Ms. Mohammadi and Azizi, who were sentenced to death for their peaceful activities on charges of 'baghi,' that alarming reports indicate they have been subjected to torture and other ill-treatment during detention. The statement also refers to at least two other women, Varisha Moradi and Nasim Gholami Simyari, who are separately facing charges of 'baghi' and are currently on trial. Amnesty International continued its statement regarding 'the use of sexual violence as a tool of repression,' stating that over the past two years, officials have consistently denied the reality that government officials and agents subjected detainees to torture and other ill-treatment during protests, including rape and other forms of sexual violence. The organization noted that last December, it published 'horrific details' of the use of rape by Islamic Republic officials, including gang rape and other forms of sexual violence aimed at repressing protests and intimidating and punishing protesters, including children, the youngest of whom was 12 years old. In this regard, the Persian section of Voice of America has published exclusive reports of rape and beating of detained protesters in several cities. Nevertheless, the Supreme Council for Human Rights of the Islamic Republic, affiliated with the judiciary, announced that 'in 28 out of 31 provinces of the country, no complaints have been registered under the titles of rape, assault, and sexual harassment.' However, Amnesty International emphasized that it has documented the fact that the judicial and prosecutorial authorities of the Islamic Republic have rejected or concealed evidence of sexual violence, including complaints from victims of such behaviors. The organization pointed out that Islamic Republic officials continue to refuse to cooperate with the UN fact-finding mission regarding Iran and prevent its members from visiting Iran. Amnesty International concluded by reiterating its call for the implementation of the recommendations of the UN fact-finding mission to all governments to initiate criminal investigations into Islamic Republic officials who are reasonably suspected of committing international crimes under the principle of universal jurisdiction, regardless of whether the accused is present in their territory or not, and to conduct 'structural investigations into the overall situation related to the 2021 protests without having specific accused individuals.'