The number of prisoners in Iran being executed is rising while civic space shrinks, according to the independent human rights expert who monitors the country.

Special Rapporteur Mai Sato was at UN Headquarters last week briefing the General Assembly, where she highlighted lack of transparency by authorities in Tehran and the failure to uphold the right to life, while also raising the alarm over the worsening situation facing women in the country.

In an interview with UN News’s Julia Foxen, the UN Human Rights Council-appointed expert who only took up her role in August this year, explained how she hopes to fulfill her mandate and hold authorities to account.