Maya Sato: An Independent Fact-Finding Mission Must Be Established in Iran to Pursue Ali Khamenei in Criminal Court

Maya Sato, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran, states that to investigate whether "crimes against humanity" have occurred in Iran and to potentially pursue Ali Khamenei for these killings, an independent fact-finding mission must be established in Iran. In an interview with ABC News, Sato discussed the massacre of protesters and whether this constitutes a "crime against humanity," explaining that such crimes involve widespread and systematic violations of human rights against civilians, including murder, torture, and arbitrary detentions, with intent being a necessary element. There have been significant casualties, and she has witnessed many instances where security forces opened fire on unarmed civilians. However, to officially label what is happening as a "crime against humanity" and to take international criminal law seriously, a thorough and independent investigation into the actual events is necessary. The near-total internet shutdown has made independent verification of the death toll increasingly difficult. The UN Special Rapporteur on human rights mentioned that she estimates a minimum of over five thousand deaths, a figure corroborated by relatively conservative organizations. Even in the past couple of days, Iranian officials themselves have stated that the death toll is around five thousand. Therefore, she considers this to be the minimum figure. Meanwhile, she has received reports estimating the death toll to be as high as twenty thousand, with much of this information coming from brave doctors who have been able to relay data on the injured and deceased transferred to hospitals via Starlink access. She noted that the UN Human Rights Council will hold an emergency meeting and may re-establish an independent fact-finding mission in Iran to determine whether Ali Khamenei, the leader of Iran, should be referred to the International Criminal Court. Last week, the UN Security Council held an emergency session to discuss the targeting of protesters by the Islamic Republic. Following statements from US President Donald Trump last week suggesting that the United States might intervene, some members of the council proposed that the situation in Iran should be resolved through diplomacy and dialogue. However, human rights groups and NGOs are calling for an emergency session of the UN Human Rights Council, which is not hindered by the vetoes of China and Russia, to address the mass killings of protesters in Iran. Unlike the Security Council, the Human Rights Council can initiate investigations and provide recommendations to member states. Trump's trip to Davos coincided with the cancellation of an invitation to the Islamic Republic due to the killing of people in Iran. Richard Goldberg: President Trump knows the Islamic Republic has crossed a red line and is taking action. An American senator predicts the fall of the Islamic Republic and the outcome of elections thereafter.