A United Nations fact-finding mission said the Iranian regime’s crackdown on the 2025-26 nationwide protests involved gross human rights violations, many amounting to crimes against humanity, prompting a series of condemnations and demands for accountability at the Human Rights Council.
The findings were presented on September 21, 2026, during an interactive dialogue specifically devoted to the report of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran. Governments participating in the debate then set out their own positions and demands in response to the findings.
Sara Hossain, chair of the mission, said Iranian security forces had used lethal force against protesters and bystanders, including children who posed no imminent threat. The inquiry documented mass arrests, torture and other mistreatment and said Tehran had intensified its use of the death penalty against protesters.
According to the mission, at least 29 men were executed in connection with the protests between March and August 31, including five in public. More than 70 others — including at least five women and three boys — remained at imminent risk of execution or death sentences. Trials were marked by forced confessions, violations of due process and denial of access to lawyers of defendants’ choosing.
Slovenia 🇸🇮 follows human rights situation in Iran with great concern.
We condemn rise in executions, repression of peaceful protesters, violence against women and girls & persecution of minorities.
We call on Iran to halt executions & fully cooperate with HR mechanisms.#HRC63 https://t.co/4qO9BsOqvJ
— Slovenia to UN Geneva (@SLOtoUNGeneva) September 21, 2026
The mission concluded that Iran was responsible for crimes against humanity including murder, imprisonment and other severe deprivation of liberty, torture and other inhumane acts. It called on Tehran to halt executions and release those arbitrarily detained, while urging other countries to pursue accountability through universal jurisdiction and other available legal mechanisms.
Albania delivered one of the strongest responses, condemning the surge in executions linked to protests and national-security charges. “The death penalty should never serve to intimidate the population or repress dissidents,” Albania’s representative said.
Tirana called for an immediate suspension of executions and said it would continue supporting “the legitimate aspirations of the Iranian people to dignity, freedom and full respect for their fundamental rights.”
At #HRC63, Canada 🇨🇦 reiterated its deep concern over ongoing #HumanRights violations in #Iran, including arbitrary detention, torture, forced confessions, internet shutdowns & executions. We call on Iran 🇮🇷 to halt all pending executions & ensure fair trial guarantees. @UN_HRC pic.twitter.com/m4BPsmyOCr
— Canada in Geneva 🍁 (@CanadaGeneva) September 21, 2026
Germany called the mission’s findings on crimes against humanity “shocking,” condemned the execution of protesters and demanded the release of people arbitrarily detained. It also warned about Iran’s growing use of transnational repression against journalists, human-rights defenders and other critics abroad.
The Nordic-Baltic countries, in a statement delivered by Denmark, said they were concerned that grave abuses including “murder, imprisonment, torture and other inhumane acts” could constitute crimes against humanity. They demanded an end to executions and asked the mission to identify realistic avenues for bringing perpetrators to justice.
The United Kingdom described the repression as the deadliest crackdown in the clerical regime’s history, pointing to lethal force against peaceful protesters, torture, internet shutdowns and executions. It said independent documentation was essential both for justice and for preventing further abuses.
We thank the International Fact Finding Mission on Iran for their crucial work. Perpetrators must be held accountable for continued severe human rights abuses. Amid ongoing military escalation, we call for the full respect of international law. pic.twitter.com/74XhFIFsIl
— Germany UN Geneva 🇩🇪🇺🇳 (@GermanyUNGeneva) September 21, 2026
Canada likewise cited what it described as a systematic pattern of executions, arbitrary detention, torture, forced confessions, internet shutdowns and transnational repression, saying the events of January had made accountability increasingly urgent.
“The unlawful and deliberate use of lethal force against peaceful protesters, including children, underscores the imperative of accountability for grave human rights violations, many of which may amount to crimes against humanity,” the Belgian representative said.
Austria denounced what it called a dramatic rise in executions and the continued use of capital punishment to suppress dissent, while Ireland said the report was “unequivocal” in documenting gross violations of the rights to life, freedom from torture and fair trial. Switzerland said some of the violations documented by the mission amounted to crimes against humanity, while Luxembourg and Liechtenstein condemned lethal force against protesters, arbitrary arrests, torture and the use of executions as an instrument of repression.
At #HRC63, Malta urged Iran to halt its crackdown on peaceful protestors, halt executions, and withdrawn the draft Bill in Parliament on Countering Foreign Infiltration. @UN_HRC @MFEAMalta @R_DeBattista pic.twitter.com/b1gEaE23TA
— Permanent Mission of Malta in Geneva (@MaltaUNGeneva) September 21, 2026
Italy, Spain, New Zealand, North Macedonia and Slovenia likewise demanded an end to executions and repression, while the Czech Republic raised alarm over proposed restrictions on contacts with foreign media and international organizations. Australia additionally accused Tehran of pursuing critics beyond its borders through intimidation and harassment. Together, the interventions reflected a broad convergence at the council over the severity of Iran’s domestic crackdown and the demand for accountability.
Tehran rejected the accusations against it, blaming foreign interference for the escalation of the protests and accusing the United States and Israel of aggression and violations of international law.
The mission’s final warning was starker still. It said Tehran had used the war as a “pretext for and accelerator of repression,” while denying investigators access to the country, restricting communications and fostering such fear of reprisals that victims and witnesses were deterred from coming forward. The mission therefore cautioned that its findings captured “only part of the scale and extent of violations and crimes.” What it had nevertheless established was already severe: murder, imprisonment, torture and other inhumane acts committed on a scale sufficient for the mission to conclude that many amounted to crimes against humanity.