UN Fact-Finding Mission Exposes Disproportionate Impact of Iran's Crackdown on Ethnic and Religious Minorities

The paper reveals that children from these minority communities have suffered especially harsh abuses during the protests, including killings, maiming, arbitrary detention, and sexual violence.

The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran has released a new advocacy paper highlighting the severe impact of the government’s crackdown on ethnic and religious minorities, particularly Kurds and Baluchis, since 2022. The report documents a range of human rights violations, including unlawful deaths, extrajudicial executions, excessive use of force, arbitrary arrests, torture, rape, enforced disappearances, and gender persecution—many of which could be classified as crimes against humanity.

The paper reveals that children from these minority communities have suffered especially harsh abuses during the protests, including killings, maiming, arbitrary detention, and sexual violence. These violations have had a profound and long-lasting impact, particularly on women from ethnic and religious minorities, who face compounded discrimination and violence.

The unrest began in September 2022 following the death of Jina Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian-Kurdish woman who died in custody after being arrested by the “morality police” for alleged non-compliance with Iran’s mandatory hijab laws. This incident sparked widespread protests, which saw significant participation from ethnic and religious minorities. These groups, already suffering from systemic poverty and discrimination, faced the brunt of the government's harsh response.

The report details how security forces in minority-populated border provinces employed a heavy-handed approach, leading to high casualties among these communities. Members of ethnic minorities, including Kurds, Baluchis, Azerbaijani Turks, and Ahwazi Arabs, experienced the highest levels of violence and repression.

The Fact-Finding Mission criticized the mass arbitrary arrests and detentions of minorities involved in the protests or showing solidarity with the movement. Detainees were subjected to inhumane conditions, torture, and sexual violence. Trials of detained minorities often lacked fairness and due process, with many falsely accused of security-related offenses under the guise of protecting national security.

The paper also highlights a troubling increase in executions, particularly in regions with large minority populations. Recent death sentences against women from ethnic minority backgrounds have intensified the chilling effect on minority rights activism.

The Mission’s findings reveal that gender-based persecution intersects with ethnic and religious discrimination. The report, based on numerous interviews with victims and witnesses from minority groups, underscores the need for accountability and reparations. Despite two years passing since the protests began, there has been no meaningful criminal investigation into the high-ranking officials responsible for these violations.

The Fact-Finding Mission calls for transformative measures to ensure justice and reparations for victims, particularly women and children from minority communities, both at the national and international levels.