Mai Sato's concern about the increase in executions, discrimination against women and minorities

In an interview, Mai Sato expressed concern about the increase in executions and discrimination against women and minorities in Iran.

In an interview with the UN website on November 7, Mai Sato, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, pointed to the increase in executions, violations of freedom of expression, systematic discrimination against religious minorities, and the worsening situation of women and girls in Iran, saying: "According to reports received from civil society organizations, the government of the Islamic Republic repeatedly accuses human rights defenders and detained journalists of crimes related to national security. Charges that are vaguely defined. The government of the Islamic Republic has also systematically restricted civil society."

According to Mai Sato, courts in Iran have repeatedly arrested Christian citizens on charges such as "acting against national security" and "participating in house churches" and sent them to prison without providing valid documents. Many of these detainees have faced danger in prison due to limited or no access to medical care.

Among the Christian citizens facing health problems in Evin Prison are "Lale Saati" and "Mina Khajoui," who have been repeatedly reported to be deprived of medical facilities and specialized examinations.

The UN rapporteur also continued his remarks by emphasizing Amnesty International's annual report on the death penalty in the world, which reported a significant increase in these cases in Iran, adding: "Another concern of mine is the increase in the number of executions. Because according to the Amnesty International report, nearly 75 percent of all executions recorded in the world in 2023 occurred in Iran."

Japanese lawyer Mai Sato, who submitted her first report on Iran to the UN General Assembly Human Rights Committee on November 1, wrote in her seventh report about the worsening situation of women and girls in Iran. While referring to the Iranian regime's treatment of the Women, Life, Freedom movement, she emphasized that the Iranian government is one of the few countries that has not signed the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.

In addition, the representative of the European Union and representatives of several UN member states, including representatives of the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States, and Australia, also pointed out the violation of religious freedom in Iran in response to Mai Sato's speech.

In response to human rights violations by the Islamic Republic's government, the Irish representative called on the Iranian government to amend Articles 499 and 500 of the Islamic Penal Code to ensure that the rights to freedom of expression and freedom of religion or belief are fully guaranteed in accordance with international law and standards, as Iran is a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantees such freedoms to individuals.

In her interview, Mai Sato mentioned that she wanted to travel to Iran, but the Iranian government had not responded to her request. She called on the international community to support her and encourage the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to engage constructively with this mission.