In November 2019, hundreds of thousands of Iranians throughout the country took to the streets to protest skyrocketing fuel prices and the inadequate government response. Despite the protesters’ peaceful methods, hundreds were murdered by Iranian forces. While the international community was largely silent in response to the barbarity, three NGOs established the Iran Atrocities (Aban) Tribunal to hold the Iranian regime accountable for its violence. This civil society-led effort was prescient, as the same regime is now in the midst of another bloody crackdown against the Iranian people and the ongoing women-led uprising in the wake of the beating death of 22- year-old Mahsa Amini following her arrest by the Morality Police for violating Iran’s compulsory hijab rules. For the Iranian people, the authorities’ savage efforts to put down protests are a case of “déjà vu all over again” – history repeating itself.
This briefing explores the dynamics of Iranian repression, bringing together experts on Iranian human rights to discuss the Aban Tribunal’s September 30 judgment, the ongoing nationwide rebellion, and what lies ahead for Iranian human rights.
