Mai Sato, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, wrote that the situation is “deeply troubling” and “profoundly affected by the devastating military escalation and its aftermath” in the first half of 2025.
“While the military escalation between States ceased on 24 June, its end has not brought relief to the people of the Islamic Republic of Iran, who continue to face systematic repression,” according to the report.
The attacks, which targeted nuclear facilities, residential areas and Evin prison, killed more than 1,100 people and injured over 5,600, with between 40 and 60 per cent of deaths estimated to be civilian, the report said.
The strikes also killed 14 Iranian nuclear scientists and destroyed medical centers, worsening shortages and leaving vulnerable populations without care, according to the report.
The response of Iranian authorities was also criticized. Tehran’s actions included “scapegoating of ethnic and religious minorities, the mass deportations of vulnerable Afghan nationals and the introduction of draconian legislation that further criminalizes legitimate civil rights activities,” the report added.
On women’s rights, the report pointed to systemic impunity in cases of gender-based killings, noting that at least 108 femicides were documented.
“The legal framework of the Islamic Republic of Iran violates the right to life by providing protections for perpetrators of gender-based killings through discriminatory provisions.”
Executions also continued at what the report called an “alarming pace,” with more than 700 people put to death between January and July, including 98 Baloch, 42 Kurds and 45 Afghans.
Sato urged Iran to “establish a moratorium on the death penalty with a view to its complete abolition” and to end corporal punishments including amputation and flogging. She also recommended international support for exiled activists and Afghan refugees.
