The U.S. Confirms UN Human Rights Committee Findings on 'Suppression of Women in Iran'

On Friday, September 23, the spokesperson for the U.S. State Department confirmed the latest report from the UN Human Rights Council's fact-finding committee regarding the ongoing suppression of women in Iran, urging Iranian officials to stop this repression. Matthew Miller described the UN committee's report on the suppression of Iranian women by the Islamic Republic as 'completely accurate' and added, 'We also see that the repression of women in Iran and the violation of their rights by the Islamic Republic continues.' Miller referred to claims made by Masoud Pezeshkian, who stated he wants a new relationship with the West, advising him to first stop the repression of women and the violation of their rights within Iran's borders, and then cease 'actions that cause instability outside of Iran' to open pathways for improving the Islamic Republic's relations with the world. The spokesperson noted the approaching second anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death in the custody of the morality police, stating, 'The death of this young woman was not the end of her short life story but rather sparked a historic movement that has impacted Iran and inspired others around the world who are fighting for gender equality and human rights.' The UN fact-finding committee reported on September 23 in an 11-page document that the Iranian government has intensified its efforts to suppress the fundamental rights of women and girls and 'destroy the remnants of women's activities' two years after the start of the 'Women, Life, Freedom' protests that followed Mahsa Amini's death. The committee's statement indicated that 'violent behavior, including beating and kicking women and girls, has intensified, and surveillance for hijab compliance has increased using technology.' The UN committee also expressed concern over a new pattern of issuing death sentences for women, emphasizing that the death penalty is used as a deterrent and to intimidate Iranians, calling on the Islamic Republic to immediately halt all executions of protesters and abolish the use of capital punishment.