Barrister Sara Hossain of Bangladesh has been appointed as the chair of the recently established fact-finding mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
The president of the Human Rights Council, Ambassador Federico Villegas (Argentina), announced the appointment of Sara Hossain along with Shaheen Sardar Ali of Pakistan and Viviana Krsticevic of Argentina, according to a press release of the UNHRC issued on Tuesday.
? Human Rights Council president @FVillegasARG has appointed the members of the new Fact-Finding Mission on #Iran:
— UN Human Rights Council (@UN_HRC) December 21, 2022
- Sara Hossain, chair (Bangladesh)
- Shaheen Sardar Ali (Pakistan)
- Viviana Krsticevic (Argentina)
PRESS RELEASE ▶️ https://t.co/XB7ZPKFDSy pic.twitter.com/O6AjXwYyqb
With resolution S-35/1 of November 24, adopted at a special session, the Human Rights Council decided to establish an independent international fact-finding mission, to be appointed by the president of the council, to “investigate alleged human rights violations in the Islamic Republic of Iran related to the protests that began on September 16, especially with respect to women and children”, said the release.
The three-person mission was further requested to “establish the facts and circumstances surrounding the alleged violations and collect, consolidate and analyze evidence of such violations and preserve evidence, including in view of cooperation in any legal proceedings”.
The president of the Human Rights Council sought recommendations from various stakeholders and expressions of interest to find highly qualified and impartial candidates to fill these positions, said the release.
In carrying out its tasks, the mission is mandated to engage with all relevant stakeholders, including the government of Iran, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, relevant United Nations entities, human rights organizations and civil society.
The mission members, who will serve in their personal capacities, were requested to present an oral update to the Human Rights Council during an interactive dialogue at its 53rd session in June 2023, and to present to the Council a comprehensive report on its findings during an interactive dialogue at its 55th session, to be held in March 2024, the release added.
About Sara Hossain
Sara Hossain is a barrister at the Supreme Court of Bangladesh practicing in constitutional, public interest and family law.
She is a partner at the law firm of Dr Kamal Hossain and Associates and serves pro bono as the honorary executive director of Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST).
In 2016, she was appointed by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights as one of the two experts on accountability to support the work of the special rapporteur on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
Sara serves on the Advisory Committee of the Women's International Coalition of Gender Justice and has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the United Nations Trust Fund for Victims of Torture since 2017.
In 2018-2019, she also served on the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on the 2018 protests in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.