Amnesty calls for UN investigation into Iran regime’s ‘serious crimes’ in protest crackdown

Iran – Amnesty International, an international non-governmental organisation, launched a petition calling for an independent United Nations (UN) investigation into the “serious crimes” being committed by the Iranian regime security forces during its crackdown on widespread protests in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Amnesty called on member states in the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to help combat the deadly suppression of protests raging across the country after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died after being arrested by the morality police. The organisation said that a “crisis of impunity” had “emboldened” the regime in Iran to kill and torture Iranians without fear of reprisals in recent years.

According to Amnesty International, the authorities in Iran have been getting away with “grave crimes” over the past few years without any consequences. Amnesty also accused the Iranian regime of routinely subjecting Iranian women and girls to “arbitrary detention, torture and other ill-treatment” for not complying with Iran’s “abusive and discriminatory compulsory veiling laws.” Under Iran’s Islamic laws, women are required to wear the Hijab (Headscarves) in the country.

The NGO also accused the Iranian security forces of using unlawful force against protesters in recent days. They also claimed that Iranian security forces used live ammunition and metal pellets at protesters. The organisation also slammed the Iranian regime for shutting down access to the internet across the country amid ongoing protests. Dozens of people have been killed in the crackdown on protesters, according to Amnesty. 

Earlier, Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, a Norwegian-registered organization monitoring rights violations in Iran, said that security forces killed many people in Kurdistan province during the protests. 

The UN’s Acting High Commissioner for Human Rights, Nada Al-Nashif, also slammed Iranian security forces over the death of Mahsa Amini. 

Iran Human Rights (IHR) director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, said that security forces opened fire at protesters, injuring many people.