A leaked document discloses that in 2022, Iran’s former security chief, Ali Shamkhani, warned Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei about a UN fact-finding mission focused on human rights violations. The confidential letter was revealed by the hacktivist group ‘Uprising till Overthrow’ on Sunday June 25 – its authenticity has not yet been verified by media personnel or civil society stakeholders. The document conveys Shamkhani’s concern that the investigation into human rights abuses during the protests since September 2022 could potentially uncover historical incidents in Iran, including mass executions in the 1980s.
Despite Shamkhani’s suggestions to prevent the UN initiative, the fact-finding mission was eventually launched. The Human Rights Council adopted resolution S35/1 in November 2022, which addressed the worsening human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran, particularly concerning women and children. This resolution led to the establishment of an independent international fact-finding mission.
Shamkhani noted that the fact-finding mission was typically established for countries facing crises and civil unrest, such as Syria, Libya, and Sudan, which could imply that Iran was also grappling with significant problems.