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FFMI - Call for Submissions

Farsi/ فارسی

On 4 April 2024, the Human Rights Council renewed the mandate of the Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran (FFMI) for one year (A/HRC/RES/55/19). It requested the FFM to ensure that the large amount of evidence of human rights violations in the Islamic Republic of Iran related to the protests that began on 16 September 2022, especially with respect to women and children, is fully and effectively documented, verified, consolidated and preserved. The Council also requested the FFMI to present a report and recommendations at its 58th session in March 2025.

The FFMI renews its call for submissions, and invites individuals, groups, and organizations to submit information and material relevant to its mandate.  Such information should pertain to the facts and circumstances surrounding the human rights violations found in its reports to the Human rights Council, namely A/HRC/55/67 and A/HRC/55/CRP.1, and within the mandate of the FFMI as outlined in Human Rights Council Resolution S-35/1.  This includes, but is not limited to facts and circumstances related to:

  • The death in custody of Jina Mahsa Amini.
  • Repression of the protests including:
    • The use of force in the context of the protests;
    • Arrests and detention in the context of the protests;
    • Treatment of and conditions in detention for protesters;
    • Trials of individuals in connection with the protests;
    • Impact of the protests on ethnic and religious minorities and the State’s response: and
    • The digital space and the protests, including Internet shutdowns and restrictions to social media platforms and communication services, and surveillance of protesters.
  • Targeted repression against protesters, supporters and others, including:
    • The repression of women and girls defying, or perceived as defying, the mandatory hijab;
    • The repression of students and schoolgirls, including interferences with the right to education, and school poisonings;
    • Individuals and categories of individuals targeted for protected expression and association, including human rights defenders, journalists and artists; and
    • Individuals and categories of individuals targeted for expressing solidarity, seeking truth, justice and accountability, including families of victims, lawyers and others.
  • Information on the gender and child rights dimensions, as well as the intersectionality between grounds of gender, ethnicity, religion, socio-economic or other status is welcome.

In its second mandate, the FFMI will inter alia, focus on the following areas and thus invites individuals, groups, and organizations to submit information and documentation specific to the below, namely on:

  • Those responsible, including security forces, judicial entities, institutions, and individuals involved in different capacities in perpetrating or enabling the human rights violations and crimes under international law, as documented in the Misson’s  mandated report (A/HRC/55/67) and extensively detailed in its comprehensive report (A/HRC/CRP.1, at paras. 1746-1830). Relevant material may include, but is not limited to, statements by relevant actors; official documents, decrees, orders and reports; or judicial documentation.
  • The ongoing situation of women and girls, especially in the context of Iran’s laws, policies and practices pertaining to the enforcement of the mandatory hijab;
  • The situation of targeted groups in the context of the protests, namely, human rights defenders, journalists, lawyers, students and teachers, including professors, medical professionals and families of victims, trade unionists, influencers, bloggers and artists including incidents of judicial or physical harassment;
  • The disparate impact of the protests and the State’s response on the situation of ethnic and religious minorities, including the Kurds, Baluchi, Azeri, Ahwazi Arabs, Baha’i, Christians, Sunni Muslims and Jews;
  • Recommendations on measures of prevention, protection, accountability, including the right to equality, truth, justice and reparation. These could include amongst others, policy and normative measures, accountability measures with a view to preventing and ending impunity for any individual involved in ordering, facilitating, or perpetrating crimes under international law, as well as monetary and non-monetary forms of reparations for victims and survivors and their families, including compensation, restitution, satisfaction, rehabilitation or guarantees of no-repetition;     
  • Recommendations on measures to be taken by third States, multilateral institutions, companies, and the private sector to increase human rights protection and the promotion of equality, truth, justice, and reparations are also encouraged.

SENDING SUBMISSIONS

Timeline: Submissions should be sent as soon as possible, but no later than 31 October 2024, to enable the FFMI Secretariat to process the information, including any follow-up if necessary.

THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO 11 NOVEMBER 2024.

Protection Issues: The FFMI attaches utmost importance to the protection of sources, notably concerning the respect for confidentiality and the ‘do no harm’ principle (not to jeopardize the life, safety, freedom and well-being of victims, witnesses and other cooperating persons). It will only disclose the identity of cooperating persons strictly subject to their informed consent and will use the information provided by them in accordance with their stated wishes when providing it. Any reprisals should be immediately communicated to the FFM Iran Secretariat, by way of email or Signal/telephone.

Steps for Submission:

Individuals, groups and organizations wishing to submit information and evidence to the FFMI are encouraged to follow the below steps:

  1. Send your submission to the following email submissions-ffmiran@un.org. Please enclose the following submission form (ENG) / submission form (Farsi/ فارسی). You may alternatively  use the following simplified submission form in English, Farsi or Kurdish.
  2. Please send your information from an encrypted email account such as Proton Mail or Signal via the below number, to help protect your messages and attachments. Do NOT include sensitive information in the subject of the email.
  3. Please attach any and all relevant written submissions, reports, documents and other information.
  4. If you wish to submit large videos, digital materials, or other files, please inform the FFMI in advance via the above email. The FFMI will contact you in due time to enable the submission of the big size file/s in a safe manner.
  5. Leave a text or a voice message over Signal to the following number: +41 (0)76 205 08 43.

Suggested security measures:

Submit information to the FFMI only when it is safe to do so and without taking unnecessary risks, following the below measures:

  1. Do NOT use your regular email address to send your submission. Instead, we suggest you to open Proton Mail account.
  2. Keep your communication with the FFMI confidential. Please do NOT, to the extent possible, tell your family, friends or others that you are communicating with the FFMI or sending information.
  3. When communicating with the FFMI or sending information, make sure you are alone and NOT in a public space where you could be watched or overheard.
  4. After sending an email/message to the FFMI, delete it from your device and email account (including from the “Trash” or “Bin” folder), and do NOT save the FFMI submission email address or Signal phone number in your contacts.
  5. If you have any reservations about sharing information or material, please contact us first on our submission email or Signal to discuss your concerns.

Response from the FFM:

The FFM Iran will send acknowledgements upon receipt of information. FFMI will initiate further contact only when necessary.

If you have a preferred method of contact, or if you prefer not to be contacted, please specify this in your email/message. It should be noted that not all information provided will necessarily be reflected in public reports, particularly cases alleging violations that fall outside our mandate.