Over 80 days into the anti-regime protests, Iranian women and youths continue their struggle for regime change in Iran. Other social strata have also joined them.
In the 16 days of unity and activism around the world to end violence against women and girls, the monthly report of the NCRI Women’s Committee is dedicated to Iranian women protesters who are fighting for freedom and equality despite massive state-sponsored brutality directed against them.
During the protests, the extent of human rights violations in Iran led the United Nations to hold a special session by the Human Right Council in Geneva on November 24, 2022.
In his opening remarks to the special session, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, pointed to “a full-fledged human rights crisis” in Iran.
“Women, young people, men, from across society – students, workers from various sectors, athletes and artists are clamoring for change. With incredible courage,” Mr. Turk noted.
The UNHRC resolution expressed deep concern, among others, “about allegations of pervasive human rights violations in the Islamic Republic of Iran, including reports of women and girls being arbitrarily arrested and detained, beaten and sexually assaulted for exercising their human rights and fundamental freedoms.”
In a landmark decision, the council adopted a resolution approving the establishment of an “independent international fact-finding mission,” to “thoroughly and independently investigate alleged human rights violations in the Islamic Republic of Iran related to the protests starting on September 16, 2022, including the gender dimensions of such violations.”
The UNHRC called on the Iranian regime to “cooperate fully with the independent international fact-finding mission, to grant unhindered access to the country without any delay and to provide the members of the fact-finding mission with all information necessary to allow for the proper fulfilment of their mandate.”
Paying the price for daring to stand for their rights
State-sponsored violence against women in Iran was already prevalent. However, it increased drastically over the past 80 days of the uprising, causing irreversible damages and deaths.
Iranian female protesters have suffered seriously at the hands of brutal security forces for daring to stand for their inalienable rights and the rights of their people.
Source: women.ncr-iran.org
