GENEVA – The human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran shows concerning patterns regarding the right to life, lack of transparency and freedom of expression and equality, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, Mai Sato, said today.
In her first report to the UN Human Rights Council, Sato said the extraordinary rise in reported executions in 2024, with over 900 recorded cases, makes Iran by far the highest per capita user of the death penalty globally. Half the executions were reportedly carried out for drug offences, followed by homicides, and national security offences. The Special Rapporteur is particularly concerned by death penalty cases, involving women activists based on broadly defined national security offences.
"In the absence of official data on death sentences and executions, I am grateful to organisations that have meticulously collected cases of executions and families who provided testimonies. The burden lies with the State to provide transparent statistical evidence if it wishes to refute the assessments of discriminatory practices," the Special Rapporteur said.
The report highlights critical concerns regarding Iran's lack of transparency. "The absence of official demographic data on executions, combined with documented patterns of discrimination within the criminal justice system, raises serious concerns regarding the use of the death penalty against minority groups."
She raised concerns about the situation of ethnic and religious minorities who face intersectional discrimination, including arbitrary detention, unfair trials, in some cases resulting in death sentences.
"Women from these communities face particularly acute challenges, experiencing multiple forms of discrimination based on their ethnic origin, religion, age and gender,” Sato said.
Her report highlights serious concern over widespread restrictions on freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly in Iran. "The interrogation, arrest, detention and sentencing of labour, cultural rights activists, human rights defenders and journalists not only directly limits individual freedom of expression but creates a chilling effect across Iranian society," the Special Rapporteur warned.
The report documents at least 179 cases of femicide in 2024 and notes Iran's legal system provides troubling protections for male perpetrators.
"Iran's legal system treats honour-related killings differently from other forms of murder, creating a dangerous hierarchy of violence that legitimises lethal violence against women," Sato said.
While Iran ranks high on the human development index, it also ranks 121 out of 193 countries on the UNDP's gender inequality index. Sato said this was the lowest among all high-human development countries.
"While Iran has achieved progress in areas such as educational access, these advances have not translated into meaningful economic and political participation for women," she said.
The report highlights gender-specific dimensions of human rights violations, including the disproportionate effect of discriminatory laws on women and girls in all aspects of life: from child marriage to marriage, divorce, inheritance, and access to justice. She also highlighted that mandatory dress codes disproportionately affecting women and girls.
"I remain ready to engage constructively with the Islamic Republic of Iran and look forward to receiving an invitation to visit the country," Sato said.
Mai Sato is the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic republic of Iran
Special Rapporteurs/Independent Experts/Working Groups are independent human rights experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council. Together, these experts are referred to as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. While the UN Human Rights office acts as the secretariat for Special Procedures, the experts serve in their individual capacity and are independent from any government or organization, including OHCHR and the UN. Any views or opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the UN or OHCHR.
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