Abdorrahman Boroumand Center

The latest report from ABC examines the pervasive and systemic impunity surrounding state violence during the Woman, Life, Freedom protests in Iran.

Woman, Life, Freedom: Victims’ Fight for Accountability Amid Repression More than two years after the death in detention of Mahsa Jina Amini on September 16, 2022, and the "Woman, Life, Freedom" uprising it ignited, the families of slain protesters are still waiting for truth and justice. The latest report from Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran, "Woman, Life, Freedom: Victims’ Fight for Accountability Amid Repression," reveals the systemic obstacles and repression faced by families seeking accountability for the killings of their loved ones. In late November 2022, in response to Iranian authorities' brutal crackdown against protesters, the United Nations’ Human Rights Council established an Independent Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran (FFMI) to investigate the death of Amini and the aftermath. The FFMI’s investigation resulted in a detailed report that labeled Iran's violent suppression of the protest a crime against humanity and called on the international community to take steps towards ensuring justice and reparations for victims outside Iran. The FFMI also called on Iran to end the violent repression of protesters and the harassment of their families, provide avenues for justice and undertake transparent and impartial investigations, and enact structural reforms to protect women and girls, among a number of other recommendations detailed in the report. President Raisi meeting with the Special Committee, August 14, 2023. President Portal The Islamic Republic has not only refused to respond to the FFMI’s communications, but its investigative bodies have absolved security forces from responsibility in the killing of protesters. Iranian authorities have obstructed investigations inside Iran and kept the public in the dark about what happened during the Woman, Life, Freedom Protest. They have intimidated, punished, and silenced – including through coerced financial settlements – victims who have dared pursue justice for the death of their loved ones through official channels. They have shielded those who unleashed unlawful and lethal force on protesters from being held accountable.  In a November meeting with the FFMI experts in Germany, victims who have left Iran stressed once again that for them justice and accountability are essential: a priority. Protest after protest, the pervasive culture of impunity that rules in Iran results in the arbitrary and extrajudicial killings of thousands of citizens, and forces their families to live without closure. ABC’s new report highlights the absence of transparency and the insurmountable challenges faced by victims who seek justice in Iran. “The establishment of the FFMI,” said Roya Boroumand, ABC’s Executive Director, “is an essential step towards achieving accountability, but it does not constitute accountability itself.” The international community must act decisively to ensure the FFMI's recommendations for justice and reparations are implemented and send an unequivocal message to Iran: the world will not tolerate repression without consequences. Mahsa Yazdani was sentenced to 13 years in prison after speaking out about the death of her 20-year-old son, Mohammad Javad Zahedi. Dadban4/X READ THE FULL REPORT