First Report by Mahi Sato on Human Rights Situation in Iran; Concerns Raised Over Unprecedented Increase in Executions

The UN Special Rapporteur on Iran, in her first report, declared the increase in executions in Iran, lack of transparency regarding information related to capital punishment and detainees, ongoing repression of protesters in the country, and discrimination against minorities as frequent human rights violations in Iran. Mahi Sato presented these issues on Tuesday, March 19, at the 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council. On March 13, she also pointed to the high number of executions of women in Iran and expressed serious concerns about the government's use of the death penalty, stating that the number of executions in Iran has 'significantly' increased. In her statements today, she noted that in 2024, the wave of executions in Iran has reached its highest level since 2015, and there are fears that if this trend continues, the number of executions in the country could exceed 'a thousand per year.' She emphasized that these figures pertain to executions for which 'information has been obtained, meaning that the Islamic Republic does not provide transparent statistics on this matter, and the exact number of executions is unknown.' Sato urged Iranian officials to present such data transparently. The Iran Human Rights Organization also reported on March 21 that at least 975 people have been executed in Iran in 2024. Mahi Sato's report addressed discrimination against Baha'i minorities, Sunni Muslims, and Christian converts, as well as ethnic minorities and mistreatment of women, stating that at least 13 women were executed in Iran in 2024. She referenced Varieshe Moradi, Sharifeh Mohammadi, and Pakhshan Azizi, activists who are under death sentences in Iran, and mentioned forced marriages, child brides, and the high rates of femicide in the country. The UN Special Rapporteur further pointed to the legal vacuum in Iran regarding women's rights, reminding that under current Islamic Republic laws, the testimony of women is worth half that of a man. Sato ultimately emphasized that despite these repressions, the people of Iran continue their 'resistance.' Sara Hussein, head of the UN Human Rights Council's fact-finding committee, also spoke at the session, referring to the harassment of prisoners in Iran, particularly based on their gender, and termed these events as 'crimes against humanity.' She protested against the Islamic Republic's use of 'disproportionate violence' and 'excessive repression' in response to these protests, specifically expressing concern over the increased use of facial recognition technology by the Islamic Republic to enforce mandatory hijab laws. Hussein stated that women in Iran 'continue to be violently arrested, their cars are confiscated, they are sentenced to prison, and in some cases, they are even sentenced to receive lashes.' Following these two speeches, Ali Bahraini, the ambassador and permanent representative of the Islamic Republic to the UN office in Geneva, responded to these statements by calling the report 'ridiculous and insulting.' Bahraini referred to Israel's attack on Gaza to counter the extremist group Hamas and stated that Germany and Britain, which he claimed were the 'main perpetrators' of this report, have 'the darkest record in human rights' due to their support for Israel. In his remarks, he attempted to question the legitimacy of the countries supporting the report on human rights violations in Iran and accused them of 'hypocrisy.' Bahraini also addressed the sanctions imposed against Iran, stating: 'These countries themselves are violators of the rights of the people of Iran.' The Iranian representative labeled the findings of the fact-finding committee as containing 'lies' and claimed they were based on 'the statements of anti-Iran terrorists,' emphasizing that 'under no circumstances will we cooperate with this committee.' The Iranian representative's remarks were so harsh that the session chair requested member countries to use language befitting the session and its mission when discussing member states. Representatives from several countries, including Estonia, Germany, Costa Rica, and the European Union, thanked the special rapporteur and the fact-finding committee for presenting their findings, with the EU representative calling for an end to executions and torture and the imprisonment of foreign and dual citizens for political purposes in Iran. Representatives from Venezuela and North Korea also spoke in defense of the Islamic Republic.