Geneva, Switzerland — September 2025.
At the 60th regular session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva, the Women’s Network for Change (WNC) delivered a series of strong statements condemning the Islamic Republic of Iran’s ongoing human rights violations, including mass executions, persecution of women, and impunity for historic crimes.

Between 16 and 23 September 2025, two WNC representatives — Ms. Amytis Marcus and Ms. Nida Amani — addressed the Council under different agenda items, urging urgent international action to hold Iranian officials accountable.

Remembering the 1988 Massacre

Date: 16 September 2025
Speaker: Ms. Amytis Marcus
Session: Item 3 – Interactive Dialogue with the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances
Watch: UN Web TV (at 01:37:04)

Ms. Marcus drew attention to the 1988 mass execution of over 30,000 political prisoners in Iran, describing it as an atrocity that continues to haunt Iranian society. She noted that for 37 years, the Iranian authorities have refused to reveal the fate or burial sites of victims, while promoting narratives that glorify the killings.

She cited a July 2025 editorial by the state-affiliated Fars News Agency, which referred to the massacre as a “successful historical experience” and called for similar measures against current prisoners.

“We urge this Council to recognize this massacre as part of ongoing state violence and impunity,” Marcus declared, calling for an independent international investigation into these crimes.

Rising Wave of Executions

Date: 18 September 2025
Speaker: Ms. Nida Amani
Session: Item 3 – General Debate on the Promotion and Protection of All Human Rights
Watch: UN Web TV (at 02:51:43)

In a separate intervention, Ms. Amani warned of an alarming surge in executions in Iran, revealing that more than 1,600 people have been executed since August 2024.

Between 14 and 16 September 2025 alone, at least 27 people were executed — bringing the total for the Iranian year (since March 2025) to over 800 executions.

Amani expressed particular concern for women, noting that 35 women had been executed in 2025, many after unfair trials.

“These violations stand in direct contradiction to Iran’s obligations under international law, including the right to life and due process,” she said, urging the Council and its Member States to condemn the surge in executions, with special attention to the execution of women.

A Call for International Action

The Women’s Network for Change urged the Human Rights Council and its Member States to:

• Launch an independent international investigation into the 1988 massacre and ongoing extrajudicial killings.
• Condemn the surge in executions, particularly of women and minorities.
• Ensure accountability for Iranian officials responsible for systematic violations.

The interventions by the WNC formed part of a broader international demand for accountability during the HRC’s 60th session, emphasizing that justice for past crimes is essential to ending ongoing abuses in Iran.

About the Human Rights Council:
The UN Human Rights Council (HRC), based in Geneva, Switzerland, is the UN’s principal intergovernmental body responsible for promoting and protecting human rights around the world. The Council meets regularly to review human rights situations in member states and engage with independent experts, NGOs, and civil society representatives.