The Mission of the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran and the Fact-Finding Committee Extended

On Thursday, April 5, member countries of the United Nations Human Rights Council approved a resolution extending the mission of the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran and the UN Fact-Finding Committee for another year. During its fifty-fifth session in Geneva, the Human Rights Council voted on the draft resolution regarding the human rights situation in Iran, which was ultimately adopted with 24 votes in favor, 8 against, and 15 abstentions. The resolution calls on the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to fully cooperate with the Special Rapporteur and the Fact-Finding Committee and to provide them with unhindered access to necessary information to carry out their duties. It also emphasizes the importance of the independent international fact-finding mission to investigate human rights violations related to the protests of September 2022, particularly concerning women and children, acknowledging that more time is needed to complete the committee's tasks. The resolution requests the Special Rapporteur to submit two reports to the General Assembly and the Human Rights Council and asks the Fact-Finding Committee to present a report at the Human Rights Council's meeting in March next year. It also requests the UN Secretary-General to provide the necessary resources to the Special Rapporteur and the Fact-Finding Committee. The U.S. representative opened the session with the phrase 'Women, Life, Freedom,' stating that the United States strongly supports the extension of the Special Rapporteur's and Fact-Finding Committee's missions and stands with the people of Iran. The Belgian representative, on behalf of the European Union, expressed deep concern about the human rights situation in Iran and urged the Islamic Republic to end 'systematic discrimination' against women and girls. However, the representative of the Islamic Republic raised the issue of the war in Gaza and deemed the roles of the U.S. and Germany in drafting the resolution as 'ridiculous.' Cuba and China were among the countries that opposed the resolution. Dozens of human rights organizations and groups had previously called on the members of the UN Human Rights Council to extend the mission of the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran and the independent international fact-finding mission regarding Iran at the fifty-fifth session of the Human Rights Council. The UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Iran is Javaid Rehman, whose mission began on July 6, 2018, and has been extended in 2021 and 2022. Throughout his six-year tenure, he has submitted six reports to the Human Rights Council, consistently condemning human rights violations in Iran. Javaid Rehman has repeatedly urged Iranian officials to fulfill their human rights obligations and has called on the international community to take action to improve the human rights situation in Iran. In his latest report to the UN Human Rights Council in late Esfand 1402, he reported a 43% increase in executions in 2023 and the continued alarming human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Javaid Rehman expressed regret that despite ongoing requests during his tenure, he has never been granted permission by the Islamic Republic to travel to Iran, describing the human rights situation in the country as extremely concerning. The independent international fact-finding committee was established following the death of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini in custody and has taken significant steps to hold accountable those responsible for committing crimes by gathering and preserving documents and identifying suspects of human rights violations. This committee, tasked by the UN Human Rights Council to prepare this report on Iran, stated in its Esfand 1402 report that 'institutionalized discrimination against women and girls' in Iran constitutes 'a violation of human rights and a crime against humanity in the context of recent protests.' According to this report, human rights violations in Iran disproportionately affect women, children, and ethnic and religious minorities. The report highlights the ongoing impact of human rights violations on protesters in Iran while perpetrators enjoy complete impunity within the country, assessing the continued activity of the fact-finding committee as 'vital.' It states: 'In recent years, following intensified crackdowns and the emergence of the 1401 protests, the human rights situation in Iran, especially for women, has significantly deteriorated. The issuance and execution of death sentences against protesters and juvenile offenders have markedly increased in Iran over the past year, in clear contradiction to international laws.' Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, stated on March 15 that the United States strongly wishes for the activities of the fact-finding committee and the mission of the UN Human Rights Council Special Rapporteur on Iran to be extended for another year. Mahmoud Amiri-Moghaddam stated that the fact-finding committee was able to expose the crimes of the Islamic Republic in a short time and with many limitations. Sara Hussein noted that the fact-finding committee faced many challenges from the Islamic Republic in preparing its reports. Shiva Mahbubi highlighted the important point in the fact-finding committee's report, confirming the systematic and intentional nature of Mahsa Amini's murder. Saeed Dehghan described the fact-finding committee's report as the most comprehensive human rights report from the UN throughout the existence of the Islamic Republic. The report by Javaid Rehman and the fact-finding committee on the protests in Iran was discussed with Raha Bahraini and Hadi Qayemi. The Berkeley Human Rights Center reported that over 120 Iranians were shot in the eyes during the 1401 protests. More than 40 Iranian and international organizations have called for follow-up on the human rights situation in Iran. The fact-finding committee stated regarding the protests in Iran that the Islamic Republic has committed 'crimes against humanity.'