Iranian officials committed crimes against humanity during their crackdown on protests following the death of Mahsa Amini, Amnesty International said on Wednesday.
The death four years ago of Amini, a 22-year-old Kurd arrested by Iran's morality police for allegedly flouting the Islamic Republic's mandatory dress code, sparked months of anti-government protests that became one of the biggest challenges to the authorities in years.
Many called for an end to more than four decades of clerical rule, with women and young people often at the forefront.
More than 500 people, including 71 minors, were killed in the protests, while hundreds were injured and thousands arrested in unrest that was eventually crushed by security forces, rights groups said.
Amnesty identified 87 Iranian officials whom it said should be investigated for crimes against humanity, including murder, torture, enforced disappearance, rape and persecution on political, gender, ethnic and religious grounds.
Amnesty International Secretary General Agnès Callamard told Reuters an ‘embedded system’ was responsible, rather than a number of rogue actors.
Amnesty said its research for the report took four years and included interviews with 270 people, including protesters, relatives of people killed, eyewitnesses, journalists and former detainees.
It also analysed thousands of videos, official statements and leaked documents.
The organisation is now calling for the UN General Assembly to establish an international criminal justice mechanism to address the crimes.