UN experts: Mahsa Amini is a victim of ongoing repression in Iran
On Thursday, independent UN human rights experts issued a special statement condemning the killing of Mahsa Amini in the custody of the "moral security police."
In their statement released on Thursday, September 21, the experts expressed deep regret over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini for wearing what the authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran consider "indecent," and called the young woman from Saqqez "another victim of the ongoing oppression, repression, and systematic discrimination against women" in Iran.
According to these experts, the policies of the Islamic Republic government, by "imposing discriminatory codes of dress, deprive women of control over their bodies and freedom of opinion and expression."
In the statement, the UN experts condemned the violence by Iranian security forces against protesters and human rights defenders who held peaceful rallies in cities across Iran demanding accountability for the death of Mahsa Amini.
The experts also called on the authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran to “avoid further violence and stop the use of deadly force aimed at suppressing peaceful gatherings” and “publish the results of an independent, impartial and prompt investigation into the death of Mahsa Amini and hold those responsible for her death accountable.”
Since the beginning of the popular protests that led to the death of Mahsa Amini, the number of cities involved in protests in Iran has reached more than 80 cities, and based on videos published on social media, security forces, special guards, and so-called "plain clothes" forces have used force to violently suppress the popular protests.
The Iranian Human Rights Organization announced on Thursday that the death toll had reached 36 by the sixth day of protests.
In their statement, UN experts have pointed out the issue of the Islamic Republic of Iran's security forces directly firing shotgun and metal bullets at protesters, killing a number of protesters, injuring dozens, and arresting hundreds.
The report called the prolonged internet shutdown in various cities in Iran, the third widespread internet shutdown in the past 12 months, "unjustifiable" and said its purpose was to "stifle freedom of expression and limit protests."
Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old from Saqqez, who had traveled to Tehran with her family to visit relatives, suffered brain death as a result of the beatings after being arrested by the Guidance Patrol officers and transferred to the Moral Security Police building in Tehran. She died on September 15.
His death has been accompanied by widespread domestic and international reactions, and so far a significant number of governments, international institutions, and well-known figures in Iran and abroad, as well as global public opinion, have reacted to this issue.
Source: Radio Farda
