At the 35th special session of the Human Rights Council, H.E. Javaid Rehman, Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran, made the following statement on behalf of the Coordination Committee of Special Procedures: “Jina Mahsa Amini, a Kurdish woman, 22, died in the custody of the so-called morality police for a few hairs that reportedly appeared under her hijab.” This unfortunate incident was just the most recent in a long line of extreme violence against women by Iranian authorities; it was not an isolated incident. Outrage was felt both nationally and internationally. The assault on rallies has gotten worse in only the previous seven days, with at least 60 to 70 people mostly Kurdish people killed, including five children.
The Special Rapporteur reiterated the request made by those who have Special Procedure mandates on the Human Rights Council to do its job, hear the persistent cries of victims for accountability, and set up an international, independent investigative mechanism into the circumstances leading up to and following the death of Jina Mahsa Amini.
