South African international law expert joins investigation into Iran’s human rights abuses
Max du Plessis SC, a prominent South African barrister and expert in international law, has been appointed as an independent member of the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission on the Iranian regime. His appointment was made by Ambassador Jürg Lauber of Switzerland, President of the UN Human Rights Council.
Du Plessis replaces Pakistani legal scholar Shaheen Sardar Ali on the three-member panel, which also includes Sara Hossain of Bangladesh—who serves as chair—and Viviana Krsticevic of Argentina.
The Fact-Finding Mission was established by Human Rights Council Resolution S-35/1 on November 24, 2022, during a special session convened in response to the widespread protests that erupted in Iran on September 16, 2022. These protests were sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Jina Amini in police custody and were met with a brutal crackdown by the Iranian regime. The Council tasked the Mission with investigating alleged human rights violations committed in connection with the protests, with particular attention to abuses against women and children.
The mandate of the Mission includes establishing the facts and circumstances of reported violations, collecting and preserving evidence, and analyzing it for potential use in future legal proceedings.
Max du Plessis brings a wealth of experience in international, constitutional, and human rights law. A senior counsel in South Africa and barrister at Doughty Street Chambers in London, he has served as legal counsel before numerous international and regional courts, including the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Tribunal.
He has also advised governments and civil society organizations on international legal matters, and has played a key role in high-profile cases involving diplomatic protection, the death penalty, corruption, and the principle of non-refoulement. Notably, he has used South Africa’s Implementation of the Rome Statute to pursue accountability for international crimes in Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Gaza, and Madagascar.
Du Plessis is also a widely published legal scholar and serves as an adjunct professor of public law at Nelson Mandela University.
His appointment comes at a critical time for international efforts to ensure accountability for the Iranian regime’s response to ongoing civil unrest and human rights violations.
Further details on the work of the Fact-Finding Mission on Iran can be found on the Human Rights Council’s official platform.
