On March 17, 2022, the United Nations Human Rights Council held its annual review of the human rights situation in Iran as part of its 49th session.
In the session, Javaid Rehman, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights Situation in Iran, expressed grave concern over continued human rights abuses in Iran and stressed the need for accountability for crimes committed by regime authorities.
Rehman warned that in 2021, the use of death penalty has increased in Iran, with at least 280 executions, including 10 women and two minors. Many of the executed people belonged to the Baluch and Kurdish minorities, Rehman said.
“The death sentence continued to be imposed for a wide range of acts, including against individuals who have participated in protests,” Rehman warned. Rehman called for the abolishment of the death penalty in Iran, especially the execution of child offenders.
Mr. Rehman also urged the Council to play an active role in establishing accountability for human rights abuses in Iran, especially the mass executions of political prisoners in 1988 and the killing of Iranian protesters in 2019.
