UN probe finds Iran committed crimes against humanity in crackdown, cites US and Israel for strikes
The mission concluded that the suppression “went beyond a simple continuation of familiar patterns and represented a marked escalation in the use of lethal force and mass arrests.”
According to the United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran, published in a report on Monday, the Islamic Republic is responsible for committing crimes against humanity in January following widespread protests. The report also condemns the United States and Israel for attacks against the regime. Despite the Islamic Republic's failure to cooperate fully with the mission, which limited access to the country, the investigation found the regime violated individuals' rights to life, freedom from torture, personal security, liberty, fair trial, remedy, peaceful assembly, association, freedom of expression, equality, non-discrimination, privacy, health, and rights to information.
The mission sent 47 information requests to Iran, but only 12 responded, none of which provided the requested information. Despite Iran restoring internet connectivity to 30% of its pre-shutdown levels, access to online spaces remained heavily restricted through a system requiring prior authorization and identity verification. The internet shutdown blocked communications to families, emergency services, and made it difficult for health workers to coordinate treatment and follow up with sick or wounded individuals.
Consequently, families were anxious about the well-being of their loved ones, and when war broke out with the US and Israel on February 28, civilians were left without timely, potentially lifesaving information.
While the mission was unable to determine the full extent of the regime's violence, it confirmed that the crackdown on the January protests resulted in at least 3.5 times more injuries and 5.5 times more deaths than the repression of the 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom protests. The Islamic Republic acknowledged the deaths of 3,038 individuals and wounding of 25,000, more than 50% of whom it said required surgery.
However, the mission concluded that the true death toll was significantly higher, and that security forces were responsible for the violence. Security forces routinely fired tear gas before shooting shotguns loaded with metal pellets at protesters, causing severe injuries to the eyes, head, chest, and upper body. Medical staff and witnesses described treating protesters injured after tear gas canisters were fired directly at their faces from close range.
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