On June 21, Nada Al Nassif, Deputy United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, expressed concern concerning the human rights scenario in Iran from August 2022 to April 2023. “The general human rights scenario within the Islamic Republic of Iran has deteriorated considerably towards the backdrop of continued deterioration of the social scenario.” “The financial scenario has deteriorated on account of sanctions and the lingering results of the COVID-19 pandemic.” She mentioned this whereas presenting a UN report on rights to the Human Rights Council. “The report as an entire demonstrates the deterioration of the human rights scenario in Iran, coupled with the continual lack of significant and efficient means for residents to precise their grievances and search redress. ”
The report targeted on rights violations after nationwide protests erupted in September 2022, together with the regime’s extreme use of drive towards girls, kids and minorities, harsh authorized penalties, and It particulars arbitrary detention and different rights violations.
The report referred to as on Iran to reverse insurance policies that embody executions, capital punishment, and arbitrary detention. He referred to as on the Iranian authorities to defend the rights of Iranians and guarantee honest investigations into violations. The UN additionally referred to as on Iran to work with UN companies, notably the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, to implement the suggestions. The following is an excerpt from the report on the rights scenario in Iran.
Overview of the human rights scenario within the Islamic Republic of Iran
A. Excessive use of drive
B. Attacks by non-state actors
On October 26, 2022, three armed males opened fireplace on the Shah Cherag Shrine within the metropolis of Shiraz, killing not less than 15 individuals, together with girls and kids, and wounding 30 others. The so-called Islamic State group claimed duty for the assault. The Secretary-General strongly condemned the “terrorist assaults” towards individuals “exercising their proper to observe their faith.” Two individuals have been discovered responsible of efsad-fil-arz (world corruption) and “appearing towards nationwide safety” for his or her involvement within the assault. On March 18, 2023, they have been sentenced to dying.
C. Death Penalty and Arbitrary Deprivation of Life
According to info out there, it’s estimated that 582 individuals have been executed in 2022, a rise of 75% in comparison with 2021, when 333 individuals have been reportedly executed. Three kids have been amongst these executed in 2022. Of the overall variety of executions, 256 (44%) have been for drug-related crimes, representing a 6% improve in executions for drug-related crimes in comparison with the earlier yr. This is the very best fee of drug-related executions within the nation since 2017. It is estimated that 15 individuals have been executed for security-related crimes, whereas 288 individuals have been executed for homicide, 16 of whom have been girls. At least 273 of the executions in 2022 have been based mostly on dying sentences issued by revolutionary courts.
D. Arbitrary Detention and Conditions of Detention
The Secretary-General is worried by the continued large-scale arrests and detentions because the protests started. According to info out there, it’s estimated that 20,000 individuals have been arrested and detained for supporting or collaborating in protests between September 17, 2022 and February 8, 2023. Many girls who expressed public help for the protests by dancing or eradicating the veil (hijab) reportedly confronted arbitrary arrest. These arrests reportedly passed off at protest websites, properties, workplaces, and educational establishments. In many instances, they claimed they weren’t knowledgeable of the rationale for his or her arrest, and a few have been subsequently launched with out cost or granted bail. On September 22, 2022, the Attorney General reportedly said that these arrests have been “preventive detention.”
E. Freedom of opinion, expression, and entry to info
Since the protests started, respect for the rights to freedom of opinion, expression, and entry to info has deteriorated considerably, each in regulation and in observe. A good portion of arrests made in reference to the protests have been reportedly for exercising the fitting to freedom of opinion and expression on-line and offline. More than 70 journalists have been arrested throughout the reporting interval, 25 of whom have been girls. At least 16 of those journalists stay in jail. It is deeply worrying that these people are dealing with stiff jail sentences starting from 12 months to 18 years, journey bans, and suspension of labor permits for his or her journalistic actions.
F. Women’s human rights scenario
G. Children’s human rights scenario
H. Human rights scenario of minorities
I. Human Rights Activists and Lawyers
accountability
Recommendations
The Secretary-General requests the Government to:
(a) Immediately halt the execution of all people, together with these sentenced to dying for protest or drug-related crimes, and chorus from additional imposition of the dying penalty;
(b) Abolish the dying penalty, instantly droop its execution, and prohibit the execution and commutation of sentences of kid offenders below any circumstances;
(c) Immediately launch all individuals arbitrarily detained, together with girls and ladies, human rights defenders, attorneys, and journalists, for lawfully exercising their rights to freedom of opinion and expression, affiliation, and peaceable meeting; .
(d) Ensure that web shutdowns are by no means utilized as they’ve inherently unacceptable human rights penalties;
(e) Guarantee the fitting to peaceable meeting and be certain that safety measures associated to protests are carried out in accordance with worldwide human rights norms and requirements, together with basic rules concerning using drive and firearms by regulation enforcement officers; assured.
(f) Due course of in step with worldwide requirements, together with by making certain that each one defendants, together with these accused of crimes towards nationwide safety, have efficient entry to authorized counsel of their alternative throughout preliminary investigations; and uphold full respect for the fitting to a good trial. levels of judicial proceedings and all subsequent levels.
(g) Against allegations of extreme and lethal drive and firearms when strictly unavoidable to guard life, together with throughout protests, allegations of custodial deaths, torture and different diseases; and guarantee immediate, clear and efficient investigations by unbiased and neutral our bodies. – insufficient remedy and jail situations; Prosecute and maintain public officers, together with regulation enforcement officers, accountable for the issuance or enforcement of associated orders. The outcomes of the investigation will then be made public.
(ok) Take additional steps to get rid of all types of gender-based discrimination and violence towards girls and ladies in regulation and in observe, together with by way of the modification or repeal of legal guidelines and insurance policies that criminalize non-compliance with the obligatory veil; . and urgently implement efficient measures to respect and defend their basic human rights and promote their equal and protected participation in public life, in accordance with worldwide norms and requirements.
(l) Conduct unbiased, neutral, immediate, thorough and efficient investigations into reported poison assaults on ladies’ faculties with a view to holding perpetrators accountable; Victims will probably be absolutely compensated and their proper to training with out discrimination will probably be assured.
(m) freedom of opinion and expression, and peace, together with contemplating discretionary penalties laws and person safety laws to make sure that offline and on-line restrictions on rights adjust to established requirements of acceptable limitations; assure the fitting to freedom of meeting; Under worldwide human rights regulation.
(n) Ensure that human rights defenders, attorneys, journalists, writers and labor rights activists are in a position to interact of their actions safely and freely, with out concern of reprisal, harassment, arrest, detention or prosecution;
(o) Protect the rights of all individuals belonging to ethnic and spiritual minorities and deal with directly all types of discrimination towards them;
p) Participate within the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination towards Women. Convention towards Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. International Convention for the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Their Families. Fundamental Conventions of the International Labor Organization.
(q) submit excellent periodic stories to United Nations human rights treaty our bodies, implement the suggestions of worldwide human rights mechanisms (treaty our bodies, particular procedural powers and common periodic evaluations), and supply particular stories of United Nations human rights treaty our bodies on the human rights scenario; Work with the reporter. The Islamic Republic of Iran and the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran, together with internet hosting visits from these mandates.
Continue to have interaction with OHCHR within the implementation of all suggestions made within the Secretary-General’s report and the stories of worldwide human rights mechanisms, and strengthen cooperation with OHCHR, together with by facilitating the go to of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to the United Nations; I’ll take into account that. Through the home engagement of the Islamic Republic of Iran and OHCHR.