Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran

Introduction

On 24 March 2011, the Human Rights Council adopted a resolution re-establishing the mandate of a Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The previous mandate established by the Commission on Human Rights was terminated in 2002.

Current mandate holder

On 12 July 2024, Ms. Mai Sato was appointed as the fourth Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran since re-establishment of the mandate. She commenced her duties officially on 1 August 2024.

Ms. Sato is an Associate Professor and was the Inaugural Director of Eleos Justice in the Faculty of Law at Monash University, Australia. Ms Sato is an Honorary Research Fellow in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Birkbeck, University of London. From February 2025, she will be Professor and Director of the Institute for Crime and Justice Policy Research, in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Birkbeck, University of London. Ms Sato is a social scientist and a criminologist by training and her research has focused on maximising the integrity of justice systems globally, particularly concerning the death penalty and the legitimacy of courts and police.

Overview of the mandate

The Human Rights Council Resolution 55/19 requests the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran to submit a report on the implementation of the mandate to the Human Rights Council at its fortieth session and to the General Assembly at its seventy-third session and calls upon the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to cooperate fully with the Special Rapporteur, to permit access to visit the country, and to provide all information necessary to allow the fulfilment of the mandate.

In the discharge of her mandate, the Special Rapporteur will:

a) Monitor and investigate human rights violations, transmits urgent appeals and letters to Iran on alleged violations of human rights;
b) Seek to undertake country visits to Iran and to the region and engage with relevant stakeholders;
c) Submit reports to General Assembly and Human Rights Council on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran ; and
d) Engages publicly on issues of concern, including through press releases.