“The Islamic Republic of Iran depends on a system, each in regulation and in apply, that essentially discriminates on the grounds of gender,” the replace famous, highlighting the far-reaching impacts on ladies and women’ 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 dying 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 obligatory hijab.
Her dying triggered protests throughout the nation demanding accountability and an finish to discrimination underneath the hallmark slogan of “Girl, 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 women who’re perceived as failing to adjust to the obligatory hijab legal guidelines and rules, in response to the report from the UN’s Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran.
State authorities have additionally elevated monitoring of hijab compliance in each the private and non-private spheres by way of the elevated use of surveillance, together with drones.
In the meantime, over the past two years, the dying penalty and different felony legal guidelines have been used to terrorise Iranians and discourage them from protesting and expressing themselves freely, investigators mentioned.
This obvious new sample of sentencing ladies activists to dying – 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 closing levels of approval the place it’s more likely to be finalised.
The invoice will subject harsher penalties for girls who don’t put on the obligatory hijab, together with exorbitant monetary fines, longer jail sentences, restrictions on work and academic alternatives, and bans on journey, the impartial rights consultants contend.
Ladies’s plight should stay ‘excessive on agenda’
The Mission is looking on Iran to instantly cease executing protesters and contemplate ending the dying penalty altogether, to launch all individuals arbitrarily arrested because of the protests and finish all repressive coverage and institutional measures in opposition to ladies and women, together with the “Hijab and Chastity” invoice.
“With no deterrence for the State concerning the rising violations in opposition to ladies and women, there isn’t a practical hope that victims and survivors may 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 position the state of affairs of girls and women within the Islamic Republic of Iran excessive on the worldwide agenda,” the replace mentioned.
World Points Information with Newsmaac
