In a new report, the international human rights organisation Amnesty International has accused the Iranian authorities of committing crimes against humanity during the crackdown on mass protests that began in 2022. These protests erupted following the tragic death of a young student, Mahsa Amini, who had been detained for allegedly wearing her hijab incorrectly. Her death served as a catalyst for mass rallies attended by thousands across the country under the slogan ‘women, life, freedom’.
For several months, the protests remained one of the most serious challenges faced by the Iranian regime in recent decades. In response, the authorities resorted to brutal force. In its report, which runs to over a thousand pages, Amnesty has provided shocking evidence of the scale of the repression, including killings, torture and abductions. According to the report, 377 people were killed, including 56 children. The Kurdish and Baloch ethnic communities were particularly hard hit, raising questions about a further ethnic dimension to the repression.
The organisation also named 87 officials whom it believes are responsible for these brutal acts. They include both high-ranking officials and commanders on the ground. Amnesty is calling for these individuals to face criminal prosecution at the international level, appealing to the UN General Assembly to establish a special mechanism for justice.
Amnesty’s Secretary General, Agnes Kallamar, emphasised that the evidence gathered leaves no doubt that the Iranian authorities have grossly violated human rights. However, there has been no official response to these allegations from Iran as yet. The organisation has forwarded its findings to Iran’s top leadership, but so far none of the officials mentioned in the report has responded to requests for comment.
This situation once again raises questions about freedom and human rights in a country that has repeatedly been criticised by the international community for its brutal methods of suppressing dissent.