Substantive Applicable Law to Truth-finding Commissions with emphasis on the Truth-Finding Committee on Iran

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 International Campus, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran

2 Tehran University, Tehran, Iran

3 Department of public and international law , University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

The fact-finding process in the field of human rights is a critical and quasi-judicial procedure guided by a set of international legal norms. This process must consider not only legal principles but also humanitarian and sociological considerations. Flexibility in legal standards should address humanitarian concerns while ensuring the preservation of legitimacy and adherence to legal norms.

One of the prominent fact-finding mechanisms established by the United Nations Human Rights Council is the Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran. This article examines the legal basis for establishing this mission, focusing on principles such as non-discrimination, impartiality, and good faith. It also raises the question of which substantive law governs the mission’s operations, even if it is independently and in good faith established.

Fact-finding mechanisms must strictly adhere to international human rights standards and utilize diverse legal sources to ensure the credibility and consistency of their findings. These standards can guide the fact-finding process and evaluate state behavior in cases of alleged human rights violations. By adhering to these principles, human rights fact-finding missions can play a significant role in ensuring accountability and justice. However, any deviation from these standards would signify an initial breach of international human rights norms by the mission itself.

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References

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    2025 by the authors. Published by The National Defense University. This article is an open-access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

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