IRAN is responsible for the “physical violence” that led to the death of Mahsa Amini in September 2022 that sparked nationwide protests, a United Nations fact finding mission said today.

The stark pronouncement came in a wide-ranging initial report submitted to the UN Human Rights Council by the Fact-Finding Mission on Iran.

Ms Amini died on September 16 2022 in a hospital after she was arrested by the country’s morality police over allegedly not wearing her hijab to the liking of the authorities. 

She was brought to Iran's Vozara detention facility to undergo a “re-education class,” but collapsed after 26 minutes and was taken to a hospital 30 minutes later, according to the report.

Iran has denied being responsible for her death or that she had been beaten. 

The mission said the Islamic Republic employed “unnecessary and disproportionate use of lethal force” to put down the demonstrations that erupted following Ms Amini’s death, and that Iranian security forces sexually assaulted detainees.

More than 500 people were killed during the crackdown and over 22,000 detained.

“The protests were unprecedented because of the leadership of women and youth, in their reach and longevity and, ultimately, the state’s violent response,” the report says.

But the report stops short of blaming anyone specifically for the death of Ms Amini.