Mai Sato
{{Short description|Japanese academic and UN Special Rapporteur}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Mai Sato
|image =
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|office = United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran
|term_start = July 2024
|term_end =
|succeeding =
|predecessor = Javaid Rehman{{Cite web |last=Baillie |first=Adam |date=11 July 2024|title=New UN rights rapporteur for Iran is a highly regarded expert |url=https://www.iranintl.com/en/202407110893 |access-date=1 December 2024|website=Iran International}}
|successor =
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|birth_place = Tokyo
|death_date =
|nationality =
|residence =
|alma_mater = King's College London
Academic appointments:
Australian National University
Monash University
Birkbeck, London
|website =
}}
Mai Sato (佐藤 舞) 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
Sato was born and grew up in Tokyo.{{Cite web |title=Mai Sato takes up role of MCJR convenor |url=https://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/school-regulation-and-global-governance/content-centre/article/news/mai-sato-takes-role-mcjr |access-date=1 December 2024|website=Australian National University}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://iran-times.com/un-names-new-human-rights-rapporteur |title=UN Names New Human Rights Rapporteur |website=International Iran Times|access-date=1 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241128202037/https://iran-times.com/un-names-new-human-rights-rapporteur |archive-date=28 November 2024}} Moving to Australia in February 2019, she was an associate professor at the Australian National University and then Monash University.{{cite web|url=https://research.monash.edu/en/persons/mai-sato |title=Mai Sato|website=Monash University |access-date=1 December 2024 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240920053716/https://research.monash.edu/en/persons/mai-sato |archive-date=20 September 2024 }}
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.{{cite web|url=https://www.icpr.org.uk/people/dr-mai-sato|title=Dr Mai Sato |website=ICPR |access-date=1 December 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240902072426/https://www.icpr.org.uk/people/dr-mai-sato |archive-date=2 September 2024}}
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.{{cite web|url=https://www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/sr-iran |title=Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran|website=ohchr.org |access-date=1 December 2024|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20241122163726/https://www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/sr-iran |archive-date=22 November 2024 }} The number of executions in Iran is among the highest in the world,{{cite news|title=Iran halts execution of three protesters after online campaign|date=19 July 2020|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-53463685|work=BBC|access-date=30 November 2024}} 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.
References
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{{United Nations Special Rapporteurs}}
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Category:United Nations special rapporteurs
Category:Date of birth missing (living people)
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Japanese officials of the United Nations
Category:Academics of Birkbeck, University of London
Category:Academic staff of Monash University
Category:Academic staff of the Australian National University
Category:Japanese women academics