March 2025 – The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) on the Islamic Republic of Iran has released a damning report confirming widespread and systematic human rights violations, including crimes against humanity, committed during and after the protests that erupted following the death of Jina Mahsa Amini in September 2022.
Key Findings of the Report
The mission, established by the UN Human Rights Council, conducted two years of investigations, collecting over 38,000 pieces of evidence and interviewing 281 victims and witnesses. The findings confirm the Iranian government’s violent crackdown on protests, use of psychological torture, and systemic persecution of women, activists, and ethnic and religious minorities.
Excessive Use of Force and Detention Abuses
The FFM investigated numerous protester deaths that the Iranian regime dismissed as “suicides.” The report also highlights the use of “mock executions” as a form of psychological torture against detainees. The excessive use of force by security forces, including the IRGC, Basij militia, and police special forces (FARAJA), resulted in numerous deaths and injuries, particularly targeting women, children, and minority communities.
Ongoing Repression of Women and Protesters
Despite early promises by the regime’s President Masoud Pezeshkian to ease mandatory hijab enforcement, state authorities have intensified repression. This includes expanded surveillance measures, criminal prosecutions against women defying hijab laws, and the introduction of the restrictive “Hijab and Chastity” law. The mission found these actions to be part of a broader pattern of systematic gender-based persecution.
Victims and their families have also faced systematic suppression, with many forced into exile or threatened into silence. The government has further extended its repression beyond Iran’s borders, targeting dissidents abroad and restricting digital freedoms within the country.
Escalation of Death Penalty for Activists
The report highlights an alarming increase in the use of the death penalty against protesters and human rights defenders, particularly women. At least ten individuals have already been executed, and fourteen others, including three women, face imminent execution. The mission considers these acts to be part of a broader strategy to instill fear and silence dissent.
Failures in Justice and Accountability
While some efforts have been made to provide accountability, domestic mechanisms remain deeply inadequate. The judiciary, which lacks independence, has largely acted as an instrument of repression rather than justice. The mission found ongoing state denial of responsibility for human rights violations, impeding victims’ access to justice, reparations, and accountability.
Call for Continued International Action
Given the gravity of these findings, the mission recommends that the Human Rights Council maintain close scrutiny of Iran’s human rights situation. It calls for the establishment of an independent international body to continue investigations into past and ongoing violations, particularly those involving crimes against humanity.
The FFM also proposes a roadmap for justice and accountability, including legal reforms, international prosecutions, humanitarian visas for victims, and the creation of a victims’ fund. The mission underscores the need for sustained international pressure to hold Iranian officials accountable and to support the Iranian people in their struggle for justice and human rights.
The full report will be presented to the Human Rights Council’s 58th session on March 14, 2025, at Palais des Nations.
