Mai Sato
Mai Sato | |
|---|---|
| United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran | |
| Assumed office July 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Javaid Rehman[1] |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Tokyo |
| Alma mater | King's College London Academic appointments: Australian National University Monash University Birkbeck, London |
Mai Sato is a Japanese born academic with an interest in international human rights law and the death penalty. In 2024, she was appointed the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran.
Life and career
[edit]Sato was born and grew up in Tokyo.[2] She studied social sciences in the United Kingdom, receiving a PhD from King's College London in 2011, and working at the Universities of Reading and the Oxford.[3] Moving to Australia in February 2019, she was an associate professor at the Australian National University[2] and then Monash University.[4]
Her principal focus has been on the death penalty and has worked on projects on the death penalty in Asia and Africa. She has also established and helps run CrimeInfo, an NGO which promotes the abolition of capital punishment in Japan and has made a documentary film on this subject.[5]
In July 2024, Sato was appointed the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, commencing her duties on 1 August 2024. The appointment was for a three-year term, that can be extended.[6] The number of executions in Iran is among the highest in the world,[7] which relates the appointment to Sato's area of expertise.
In addition, she was appointed Professor and Director of the Institute for Crime and Justice Policy Research at Birkbeck, University of London from February 2025.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ Baillie, Adam (11 July 2024). "New UN rights rapporteur for Iran is a highly regarded expert". Iran International. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
- ^ a b "Mai Sato takes up role of MCJR convenor". Australian National University. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
- ^ "UN Names New Human Rights Rapporteur". International Iran Times. Archived from the original on 28 November 2024. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
- ^ a b "Mai Sato". Monash University. Archived from the original on 20 September 2024. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
- ^ "Dr Mai Sato". ICPR. Archived from the original on 2 September 2024. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
- ^ "Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran". ohchr.org. Archived from the original on 22 November 2024. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
- ^ "Iran halts execution of three protesters after online campaign". BBC. 19 July 2020. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
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United Nations special rapporteurs bear mandates from the United Nations Human Rights Council and may hold the titles special rapporteur, independent expert or special representative of the Secretary-General, and are also referred to simply as mandate-holders. | ||
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