Iran urged to end new rights clampdown following teenage girl’s death
A panel of experts chosen by the UN Human Rights Council declared on Thursday that Iran has to stop engaging in activities and policies that "amount to total impunity for acts of gender persecution against women and girls."
They released a statement expressing shock at the passing of Armita Geravand, the teenage girl who died earlier this month in Tehran's metro system, purportedly as a result of an argument over her failure to wear a headscarf or hijab.
State media reported in international reports that Ms. Geravand passed away on Saturday. The experts, who pointed out that the government continues to insist that she suffered brain damage from her fall, demanded an independent, fast, and unbiased examination into her death.
“Women and girls should not be punished for wearing or not wearing any specific piece of clothing and should certainly not be at risk of losing their lives for doing so,” they said.
Parallels with Mahsa Amini
In a statement, they echoed concerns they had previously raised with Tehrani authorities over the clothing code that is imposed on women and girls, as well as the use of disproportionate and illegal force against those who do not conform.
This came following the passage of the Chastity and Hijab Law, which some UN experts fear is incompatible with the principles of gender equality and other fundamental freedoms, and the redeployment of Iran's so-called "morality police" since the end of July.
“We are dismayed at the parallels between the circumstances of Jina Mahsa Amini’s death and more recent deaths,” the experts added.
Ms. Amini, 22, passed away while being held in detention after being detained in Tehran in September 2022 on suspicion of disobeying the already stringent hijab requirement.
Failure to Investigate
During the widespread protests that followed her death, the experts also voiced their deep concern and dismay at the authorities' unwillingness to carry out impartial investigations into the killings of women and girls.
“We are aware of reprisals against other women, including celebrities, for refusing to comply with the mandatory dress code,” they said.
“Even before the law was passed, there were increasing reports of women facing legal action for violating the dress code. Some have lost their jobs or been sentenced to jail, while others have been ordered to perform forced labor.”
Abolish Dress Codes
The experts urged the Iranian authorities to amend the country's Constitution, repeal any laws that discriminate against women based on their gender, including those that impose mandatory dress codes, and do away with any policies that allow the government to monitor or regulate how women behave or dress in public or private.
We remain concerned and alarmed by the ongoing policies and practices in Iran which amount to total impunity for acts of gender persecution against women and girls and urge the Government to put an end to them,” they said.
References
Charbaghi, H. (2023, November 2). Iran urged to end new rights clampdown following teenage girl's death. UN News. Retrieved November 15, 2023, from https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/11/1143137
Iran urged to end new rights clampdown following teenage girl's death. (2023, November 4). HT Syndication. Retrieved November 15, 2023, from https://www.htsyndication.com/india-blooms/article/iran-urged-to-end-new-rights-clampdown-following-teenage-girl-s-death/76658377
Rezvani, A. (2023, September 15). Iran women's rights movement endures on anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death. NPR. Retrieved November 15, 2023, from https://www.npr.org/2023/09/15/1199463066/iran-mahsa-amini-anniversary-women-rights-protests.