A UN report has warned that religious minorities are being targeted in Iran’s crackdown on women’s rights protests.
Protests have continued for the reason that death two years ago of 22-year-old Jina Mahsa Amini in police custody in after her arrest by Iran’s morality police for allegedly breaking hijab rules.
An advocacy paper published by the UN’s fact-finding mission to the country said that “crimes against humanity” were being perpetrated and that Kurd and Baluch ethnic and spiritual minorities have been the victims of a “disproportionate” crackdown by the federal government in response to the protests.
Abuses reported within the paper include illegal deaths, extrajudicial executions, unnecessary use of lethal force, arbitrary arrests, torture, rape, enforced disappearances and gender persecution.
The report also highlighted the effect of presidency repression on children from ethnic and spiritual minorities, including a Christian couple denied the suitable to adopt a toddler due to their religious beliefs.
A report last yr by Open Doors, Article 18 and other religious freedom groups warned that Christians, especially converts, were affected by a rise of persecution within the wake of the protests.
It detailed how a minimum of five people arrested over their alleged involvement within the protests were hit with the extra charge of “apostasy” after the authorities discovered that they were converts to Christianity.
Henrietta Blyth, CEO of the charity Open Doors UK & Ireland, is asking for a global response to guard Iran’s religious and ethnic minorities.
“The recent UN paper starkly illustrates the severe and targeted repression faced by religious minorities in Iran,” she said.
“These findings resonate deeply with the plight of Christians within the region, who proceed to endure intensified persecution for his or her faith.
“Open Doors stands in solidarity with all those suffering under these injustices. We urge the international community to take immediate motion to guard these vulnerable populations and uphold their fundamental human rights.”
