“The Islamic Republic of Iran depends on a system, each in legislation and in follow, that basically 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 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 necessary 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 ladies who’re perceived as failing to adjust to the necessary hijab legal guidelines and rules, in keeping with 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 via the elevated use of surveillance, together with drones.
In the meantime, during the last two years, the dying penalty and different legal 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 non secular 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 remaining phases of approval the place it’s prone to be finalised.
The invoice will problem 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.
Girls’s plight should stay ‘excessive on agenda’
The Mission is asking on Iran to instantly cease executing protesters and contemplate ending the dying penalty altogether, to launch all folks arbitrarily arrested because of the protests and finish all repressive coverage and institutional measures towards ladies and ladies, together with the “Hijab and Chastity” invoice.
“With no deterrence for the State relating to the growing violations towards ladies and ladies, there isn’t any life like 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 towards 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 state of affairs of ladies and ladies within the Islamic Republic of Iran excessive on the worldwide agenda,” the replace mentioned.
