22 July 2024

GENEVA – A UN Special Rapporteur said an international mechanism is essential to investigate and prosecute those responsible for “atrocity crimes” in Iran, including the extra-judicial killing of thousands of arbitrarily arrested prisoners during a crackdown by authorities on political dissent during the 1980s.

Javaid Rehman, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran – in final findings before his mandate ends on 31 July – said that the “atrocity crimes” of summary, arbitrary and extra-judicial executions during 1981-1982 and in 1988 amounted to crimes against humanity of murder and extermination, as well as genocide. The executions included women – some reportedly raped before being executed – and many children. Crimes against humanity also included imprisonment, torture and enforced disappearances.

“The Bahá’ís were targeted with genocidal intent and persecution, targeting and victimising of religious, ethnic and linguistic minorities and political opponents continued with complete impunity during, and since, the first decade of the establishment of the Islamic Republic in 1979,” Rehman said.

Among findings contained in this final paper, the Special Rapporteur said the investigative and accountability mechanism should conduct impartial and transparent investigations under international law and preserve evidence with the aim of further criminal prosecutions. “The continued concealment of the fate of thousands of political opponents and the whereabouts of their remains amounts to the crime against humanity of enforced disappearance,” Rehman said.

“I have observed the failure to ensure justice and accountability in Iran and how this is impacting the families of the victims and the current human rights situation in the country.”

The Iranian government continues to deny the “atrocity crimes”, perpetrators have not been brought to justice.

“I repeat, there should be no impunity for such gross human rights violations, regardless of when they were committed. The Iranian regime and its leaders should not be allowed to escape the consequences of their crimes against humanity and genocide. An independent international investigative and accountability mechanism for Iran is absolutely essential,” Rehman said.

The Special Rapporteur has been in contact with the Islamic Republic of Iran on this matter.