UN Fact-Finding Mission: Repression in Iran Intensifies Amid Conflict

A report by the UN Fact-Finding Mission warns that violence against protesters, discrimination against women, minorities, and information restrictions severely threaten the situation of Iranian people.

A new report from the United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran describes the human rights situation in the country as deeply concerning and warns that the human rights crisis could worsen as a result of escalating military conflicts and attacks by the United States and Israel. The report was presented to the UN Human Rights Council and has drawn the attention of the international community to widespread violations of citizens’ rights.

According to the report, patterns of state repression in Iran continue, including measures that have worsened during periods of military tension, such as widespread arrests, severe restrictions on freedom of expression, the use of deadly violence against protesters, internet shutdowns, and restrictions on access to information for the people.

The UN Fact-Finding Mission has pointed to a dramatic increase in the execution of death sentences in Iran, with some cases related to drug-related files or protests, and reports indicate that some of these sentences were issued based on forced confessions under torture.

Recent reports have also shown that the level of executions in Iran has reached its highest point in the past decade, and these cases may indicate a pattern of increasingly violent systematic repression.

The UN report discusses repression and discrimination against religious and ethnic minorities, including Christians, Baha’is, Arabs, and Kurds, which includes arbitrary arrests, confiscation of property, and violent treatment. It also documents cases of repression of women and girls, arrests, and reports of harassment of those who have opposed mandatory hijab laws.

Human rights experts have noted that these repressions are accompanied by patterns of gender-based violence and structural discrimination and may indicate widespread violations of fundamental rights of a large number of citizens.

The Fact-Finding Mission has also pointed to instances of transnational repression, including attempts to assassinate or digitally threaten Iranians and dual nationals abroad and pressure on their families within Iran, which are part of a broader pattern of restricting freedom of expression and cyber pressures.

According to human rights analysts, such behaviors demonstrate a trend that is pursued not only within the country but beyond its borders to silence the voices of opponents and civil society activists.

One dimension of the human rights crisis in Iran is the widespread internet shutdown and the disruption of information communications, which is particularly applied during protests and conflicts. This disconnection, like similar previous cases, causes people to face serious difficulties in accessing vital information, security alerts, and emergency assistance, and also disrupts the independent reporting process.

Jurists and international observers have described this measure as a violation of international obligations regarding access to information and freedom of expression, and have warned that this policy could lead to increased public distrust.

Previously, the UN Human Rights Council, with the support of numerous countries, passed a resolution against human rights violations in Iran and called for increased monitoring and accountability from Tehran.

Furthermore, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights has repeatedly warned about the unprecedented severity of the human rights situation in Iran and emphasized that even after a temporary cessation of military conflicts, the situation for ordinary people has not improved.

Reports related to internet shutdowns, extrajudicial killings, harassment and persecution of women, discrimination against minorities, and the continuation of repression show that the human rights crisis in Iran extends beyond civil society protests and harms large sections of society.

Human rights experts have warned that if these patterns continue as policy and serious accountability does not occur at both international and domestic levels, it could have profound humanitarian, social, and psychological consequences for the Iranian people, particularly vulnerable groups.