“The Islamic Republic of Iran depends on a system, each in regulation and in observe, that essentially discriminates on the grounds of gender,” the replace famous, highlighting the far-reaching impacts on ladies and ladies’ bodily autonomy, freedom of expression and faith, in addition to a variety of financial, social and cultural rights.
The heightened repression comes two years after the illegal loss of life in custody of 22-year-old Jina Mahasa Amini, arrested by Iran’s “morality police” in Tehran on 13 September 2022 for alleged non-compliance with Iran’s legal guidelines on necessary hijab.
Her loss of life triggered protests throughout the nation demanding accountability and an finish to discrimination underneath the hallmark slogan of “Lady, Life, Freedom.”
Rise in violence, surveillance, executions
Iranian safety forces have escalated pre-existing patterns of bodily violence, together with beating, kicking, and slapping ladies and ladies who’re perceived as failing to adjust to the necessary hijab legal guidelines and laws, in accordance with the report from the UN’s Impartial Worldwide Truth-Discovering Mission on Iran.
State authorities have additionally elevated monitoring of hijab compliance in each the private and non-private spheres by means of the elevated use of surveillance, together with drones.
In the meantime, during the last two years, the loss of life penalty and different felony legal guidelines have been used to terrorise Iranians and discourage them from protesting and expressing themselves freely, investigators stated.
This obvious new sample of sentencing ladies activists to loss of life – together with some belonging to Iran’s ethnic and spiritual minorities, following their convictions for nationwide safety offences – raised utmost concern within the replace.
Amidst such escalation in violence, a “Hijab and Chastity” invoice is within the last levels of approval the place it’s prone to be finalised.
The invoice will challenge harsher penalties for ladies who don’t put on the necessary hijab, together with exorbitant monetary fines, longer jail sentences, restrictions on work and academic alternatives, and bans on journey, the unbiased rights consultants contend.
Ladies’s plight should stay ‘excessive on agenda’
The Mission is asking on Iran to instantly cease executing protesters and think about ending the loss of life penalty altogether, to launch all folks arbitrarily arrested as a result of protests and finish all repressive coverage and institutional measures in opposition to ladies and ladies, together with the “Hijab and Chastity” invoice.
“With no deterrence for the State concerning the rising violations in opposition to ladies and ladies, there isn’t a life like hope that victims and survivors might absolutely and meaningfully entry the elemental rights and freedoms to which they’re entitled, and which the Islamic Republic of Iran has obligations to respect and guarantee,” the replace warned.
Given the widespread impunity that prevails throughout Iran, together with for crimes in opposition to humanity, the Mission can also be calling on UN Member States to scale up efforts to make sure the rights of victims and their households.
“States should proceed to put the scenario of girls and ladies within the Islamic Republic of Iran excessive on the worldwide agenda,” the replace stated.
