Mahsa Amini’s death in police custody was 'unlawful': UN fact-finding mission on Iran

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

GENEVA (AA) - The UN fact-finding mission on Iran said Monday that it found the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman, in police custody "unlawful."

Amini's death sparked a wave of nationwide protests in September 2022. She was detained in Tehran allegedly for not adhering to the mandatory dress code norms.

"Our investigation established that her death was unlawful and caused by physical violence in the custody of State authorities," Sara Hossain, the chairperson of the mission, said during the 55th Human Rights Council in Geneva.

The mission also found that "state authorities in Iran were responsible for egregious human rights violations in connection with the protests" that started following Amini's death, Hossain said.

"These include unlawful deaths, extra-judicial executions, unnecessary and disproportionate use of force, arbitrary arrests, torture and ill-treatment, rape and sexual violence, enforced disappearances, and gender persecution," she said.

"These acts were conducted in the context of a widespread and systematic attack against women and girls, and other persons expressing support for human rights," Hossain added.

She stressed that some of these violations of human rights rose to “the level of crimes against humanity.”