A United Nations fact-finding mission has delivered a scathing report on Iran, declaring the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody “unlawful” and the result of physical violence. The 22-year-old Kurdish woman’s arrest in September 2022 for allegedly violating Iran’s Islamic dress code sparked nationwide protests, marking a significant challenge to the country’s clerical leaders.

Presenting the findings to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Sara Hossain, chairperson of the mission, stated, “Our investigation definitively established that Ms. Amini’s death was unlawful and caused by physical violence inflicted while in the custody of Iranian authorities.”

The report goes further, condemning the brutal response to the subsequent protests. Hossain detailed “egregious human rights violations” including extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, torture, and sexual violence. She emphasized that these acts constituted a “widespread and systematic attack against women and girls, and other persons expressing support for human rights.” The gravity of these violations, according to the report, elevates them to the level of “crimes against humanity.”

As customary, the Iranian regime attempted to justify itself and deny all allegations of wrongdoing. Kazem Gharib Abadi, secretary general of the regime’s High Council for Human Rights, dismissed the findings, accusing the mission of lacking “independence and impartiality.”

However, the report doesn’t solely focus on the protests. It highlights the ongoing discrimination faced by women in Iran. Hossain pointed out that Iranian women and girls encounter discrimination “affecting virtually all aspects of their private and public lives.” She particularly criticized the requirement to wear the hijab, stating, “In the 21st century, it’s unacceptable that access to basic services like education, healthcare, and employment is contingent on an arbitrary rule like the mandatory hijab.”

The report offers a glimpse into the simmering tensions within Iran. The death of Mahsa Amini became a catalyst for a broader struggle for women’s rights and basic freedoms. The UN’s condemnation of the Iranian government’s actions puts international pressure on the regime to address these issues and uphold human rights for all its citizens.