Iranians continue to endure the devastating consequences of the Islamic Republic's brutal crackdown on the Woman, Life, Freedom uprising amid systematic impunity for crimes under international law, Amnesty International said.
"No effective, impartial and independent criminal investigations have taken place into the serious human rights violations and crimes under international law by Iranian authorities during and in the aftermath of the nationwide protests of September-December 2022, including security forces’ extensive and unlawful use of force and firearms," Amnesty said in a report on Wednesday.
"Security forces fired assault rifles, shot guns loaded with metal pellets and teargas canisters, and severely beat protesters with batons, resulting in the unlawful killing of hundreds of protesters and bystanders, including scores of children, and life-changing injuries to many more.
"The authorities have sought to silence relatives seeking truth and justice for the unlawful killings of their loved ones through arbitrary detention, unjust prosecution, death threats and other relentless harassment.
"Two years on, the authorities have also further escalated their assault on human rights, waging a 'war on women and girls' through an increasingly violent crackdown on those defying draconian compulsory veiling laws and have intensified their use of the death penalty to silence dissent," the human rights organization added in its report.
Meanwhile, The Islamic Republic's security forces have arrested several people in Kurdish towns ahead of the second anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death.
Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman, died in the custody of Iran’s morality police after being detained for wearing her hijab “improperly”. Her death sparked nationwide protests, which became known as the Woman, Life, Freedom movement.
“The anniversary of the ‘Woman Life Freedom’ uprising is a haunting reminder that countless people in Iran are still reeling from the consequences of the authorities’ brutal crackdown. Victims, survivors and their relatives continue to be denied truth, justice and reparation for crimes under international law and other grave human rights violations committed by Iranian officials during and in the aftermath of the uprising,” said Diana Eltahawy, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa.
“The Iranian authorities have spent the past two years waging a propaganda campaign of denial and distortion to conceal evidence of their crimes and attempting to intimidate survivors and victims’ families into silence. With no prospect for independent and impartial investigations domestically, it is imperative that states initiate criminal investigations into the crimes committed by the Iranian authorities through their domestic prosecution offices under the principle of universal jurisdiction," she added.
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