Fact-Finding Committee Meeting; Survivors of 2022 Protests Demand Justice and Accountability

Victims and survivors of the "Women, Life, Freedom" protests held a meeting with the UN fact-finding committee in Germany, emphasizing the necessity of truth, justice, and accountability for the repression and crimes against humanity committed by the Iranian government. This meeting, the report of which was published on Wednesday, December 7, was attended by survivors who were forced to leave Iran following the protests in September 2022, sparked by the death of Mahsa Jina Amini in the custody of the morality police over hijab issues. All participants in this session, after being forced to leave Iran during and after the "Women, Life, Freedom" protests, are under protection in Germany. Some of them had faced harassment due to their gender. Many suffered severe injuries, including complete blindness and arbitrary detentions, while some were victims of torture and gender-based violence. Parents and family members of victims killed or injured in the protests also spoke about the ongoing repression they face, including the denial of their right to mourn. Many complained about the ongoing restrictions on their daily lives in Iran, including widespread surveillance and control. Participants called for legal reforms to eliminate discrimination against women and minorities and to address the impunity of those responsible for repression. They urged the international community to act to end human rights violations and provide humanitarian, medical, and psychosocial support. The fact-finding committee announced that its next report, including a roadmap for achieving justice and accountability, will be presented in March 2025. The UN Human Rights Council issued a mandate for the independent international fact-finding committee on the Islamic Republic of Iran on November 24, 2022, to investigate human rights violations related to the protests that began on September 16, 2022, particularly concerning women and children. On December 20, 2022, the President of the Human Rights Council announced the appointment of Sara Hussein from Bangladesh, Shaheen Sardar Ali from Pakistan, and Viviana Krsticevic from Argentina as three independent members of this committee, with Sara Hussein elected as its chair. Sara Hussein, the head of the fact-finding committee, spoke on Tuesday about this recent session, stating: "In this session, survivors - including children and young women and men - spoke about their priorities for truth, justice, accountability, and reparations. Their voices and expectations for action, both inside Iran and on the international stage, play a key role in adopting a victim-centered approach to justice and accountability."