Over the past few months, the country of Iran has experienced anti-regime protests after the killing of Mahsa Amini and numerous human rights abuses present in the country. In response to the protests, the Iranian government has detained protesters and protest leaders with the threat of execution. These protests were mostly sparked by women and girls in the country, but have been supported by men and boys. But, what’s really happening in Iran and what can the United Nations do about this?

While protests in Iran are not new, recent demonstrations have a significant amount of solidarity across ethnicity, gender, and location. These protests began after the killing of Amini by the regime’s Morality Police, who enforce rules related to appearance, mixing men and women who are not related, and alcohol consumption. Amini was killed on September 16, 2022, after being detained and beaten by the Morality Police for wearing skinny jeans and not wearing her hijab correctly. According to family, Amini died after being beaten in the head. She was 22.

Policies regarding dress are not new in Iran. Mandatory wearing of the hijab has been in effect since 1983, although clothing restrictions have become stricter in recent years after the election of President Ebrahim Raisi.

Protests broke out across Iran in response. Women and girls have been leading the charge, although Iranians across genders have been demonstrating, shouting “Women, Life, Freedom.” and “Down with Dictator.” Women and girls across the country have cut their hair in protest, pushed pro-regime educators out of schools, and engaged in many forms of civil disobedience. Despite nearly all protests being peaceful, Iran’s armed forces and morality police have responded with extreme violence and have committed human rights abuses. Armed forces and police have been caught on camera firing into crowds of protesters. Many protestors have been arrested and many are being threatened with execution or have already been executed. More than 519 protesters have been killed while involved in protests, including at least 69 children.

While imprisoned, protestors have reported being forced into confessions with the threat of torture, including beatings, sexual violence, deprivation of sleep and food, and solitary confinement for days on end. Those imprisoned have reported hearing screams in various prisons across the country, including the infamous Evin prison.

In addition to firing into crowds, imprisonment, and execution, the regime has responded to protests by shutting down the internet and access to social media to repress Iranians and prevent information on Iran’s protests and human rights abuses. Still, many Iranians have posted their experiences on social media services such as TikTok.

Despite the evidence of human rights abuses and political repression in Iran, the United Nations has done relatively little to help those in Iran. Many UN countries around the world have levied sanctions upon the country; however, sanctions can often impact the ability of citizens to access food, water, and shelter, and increase issues for the people while not particularly hurting those in power. Most recently, the United Nations has taken Iran off of the Commission for the Status of Women following the murder of Amini. United States Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas Greenfield expressed support for protestors and criticized the regime for Amini’s death.

The UN has lodged a human rights investigation into the allegations and found evidence of human rights abuses. In addition, the UN detailed the increased executions and police presence regarding Kurdish citizens, an ethnic minority who have historically been discriminated against in Iran. This reflects a larger pattern across generations.

While seemingly far away, the protests in Iran affect many families in the United States and reflect a larger trend toward authoritarianism around the world in the past few years. This also reflects the continuous stripping of human rights from women, something that we have also seen in recent years. While the U.S. has had no diplomatic relations since 1980, citizens across the world should be sharing the story of protests in Iran to increase support for Iranians.