Violent repression of peaceful protests and pervasive institutional discrimination against women and girls has led to serious human rights violations by Iran – many amounting to crimes against humanity – the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the country said in its first report issued on Friday.

The report to the Human Rights Council said violations and crimes under international law committed in the protests sparked by the death of Jina Mahsa Amini in September 2022 include extra-judicial and unlawful killings and murder, unnecessary and disproportionate use of force, arbitrary deprivation of liberty, torture, rape, enforced disappearances and gender persecution.