Guest lecture from honorary doctor Shaheen Sardar Ali 5 Sept. 2024
The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran: Findings and Recommendations
Time and Place:
5 September 2024 10:00-12:00, Aud 4 Domus Academica
About the lecturer
Professor Shaheen Saradar Ali was awarded honorary doctorate at the Faculty of Law at the University of Oslo in 2024 (lag hyperlink til fakultetssiden)- She is Chair at the School of Law, University of Warwick, United Kingdom and has held professorial positions at the University of Peshawar, Pakistan and the Faculty of Law, University of Oslo, Norway. She has served as the Rector, National Academy for Higher Education, Pakistan. In 2000 she was appointed as the first chairperson of the National Commission on the Status of Women, Pakistan and Cabinet Minister for Health, Population Welfare and Women’s Development, Government of the North West Frontier Province, Pakistan. Shaheen Sardar Ali has also held various positions at the United Nations. She has been Vice-Chair of the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. Currently she is serving as member of the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran set up by the Human Rights Council.
Abstract of lecture:
On 22 November 2022, the UN Human Rights Council convened a special session and adopted Resolution S-35/1 on the deteriorating situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, especially with respect to women and children, and established the Independent International Fact Finding Mission on Iran (hereinafter ‘the FFMI’). The Human Rights Council expressed concern about the violent crackdown on peaceful protests by security forces in the Islamic Republic of Iran (hereinafter ‘Iran’) following the death in custody of Jina Mahsa Amini, a young woman arrested for allegedly violating the country’s mandatory hijab laws. On 20th December 2022, the President of the Human Rights Council appointed Sara Hussain (Bangladesh) as Chair, Shaheen Sardar Ali (Pakistan) and Viviana Kristicevic (Argentina) as members. The Mission presented an oral update to the Human Rights Council on 5th July 2023 at its fifty-third session, providing an overview of human rights concerns and its preliminary observations regarding areas of investigation. The final report was presented to the Human Rights Council in an interactive dialogue with states on the 18th of March 2024. Following the presentation of this report, a resolution was presented to the Human Rights Council on 4th April 2024 proposing a one year renewal of the Mission enabling the FFMI to conclude their work.
The man findings and recommendations of the Mission are contained in document A/HRC/55-67. A more detailed conference room paper also accompanied the mandated report containing a more detailed description of its findings with respect to the patterns of violations and potential crimes under international law investigated, as well as a full factual and legal analysis with supporting information underpinning document A/HRC/55-67. Given the emphasis in resolution S-35/1 on the need to ensure accountability, the Mission sought to identify those responsible for human rights violations and crimes under international law and the linkages between these crimes and those responsible, including patterns in conduct, command structures, control and discipline. The establishment of the FFMI constitutes a crucial step towards ensuring truth and accountability for human rights violations in Iran linked to the ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ movement and beyond. This movement was a spontaneous response to the death in custody of Jina Mahsa Amini soon spreading to the entire country. A number of lines of investigations were pursued by the Mission finding gender persecution and crimes against humanity.