Iran is still meting out harsh punishments on those suspected of involvement in mass protests, including “chilling” executions, a United Nations fact-finding mission said Wednesday, according to The Associated Press.
Iran witnessed waves of nationwide protests following the September 16 death of 22-year-old Amini, an Iranian Kurd who had been arrested for an alleged breach of the Islamic Republic's strict dress rules for women.
The government crackdown on the demonstrations resulted in hundreds of people being killed, including dozens of security personnel, and thousands arrested.
At a special session in November, the UN Human Rights Council voted to create a high-level investigation into the deadly crackdown.
Reporting to the council on Wednesday, Sara Hossain, chair of the independent international fact-finding mission, said that 10 months later, the Amini family’s “right to truth and justice remain unfulfilled.”
“The lack of transparency around the investigations into her death is further evidenced by the arrest and continued detention of the two women journalists, Nilufar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi, who first reported on the event,” she added.
Iran has announced that 22,000 people have been pardoned in connection with the protests — which “suggests that many more were detained or charged,” said Hossain, according to AP.
No official data exists on the nature of the allegations against them, or on those convicted, detained, or charged in connection with the protests, she added.
Hossain said pardoned protesters were reportedly made to express remorse — “to effectively admit guilt” in signing written undertakings not to commit “similar crimes” in future.
Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, have long accused “hostile foreign powers” of stoking the unrest.
Last month, the head of Iran’s intelligence services said that 20 countries, including Israel, were involved in the nationwide protests sparked by the death of Amini.
In addition to Israel, he alleged that the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada, Belgium, and Italy Israel were among the countries involved in inciting the protests.
Saudi Arabia, with which Iran has recently resumed diplomatic ties after a seven-year rupture, and the United Arab Emirates were also involved, he claimed.