The Iranian authorities has arrested and sentenced quite a few peaceable human rights defenders on imprecise nationwide safety expenses, whereas failing to research studies of abuse and torture by police and safety forces.
Security authorities focused ethnic and spiritual minorities and violently enforced discriminatory gown codes in opposition to ladies.
Freedom of meeting and expression, and the correct to take part in public affairs
Human Rights Watch documented that safety forces used shotguns, assault rifles, and handguns in opposition to demonstrators in a largely peaceable and infrequently crowded atmosphere. On September 30, safety forces opened hearth on demonstrators in Zahedan city (Sistan-Baluchistan province), killing and wounding dozens of individuals. As of November 14, human rights organizations investigating According to studies, 341 protesters have been reported useless, together with 52 youngsters.
In December 2021, hundreds of lecturers took to the streets in tons of of cities and cities to protest, demanding honest wages, improved well being care, and the discharge of incarcerated lecturers. Videos shared on Twitter confirmed safety forces violently attempting to disperse demonstrators in entrance of parliament.
On May twenty fourth, the non-governmental group (NGO) Imam Ali Popular Students Relief Society (IAPSRS) Posted The Twitter account mentioned the twenty eighth Branch Court of Appeals upheld the March 2021 ruling shutting down the group. IAPSRS is considered one of Iran’s most distinguished NGOs working in opposition to poverty discount, little one marriage, and little one demise penalty.
Branch 55 of the International Relations Court of the Shahid Beheshti Judicial Complex accepted the Ministry of Interior’s evaluation that IAPSRS had “deviated” from its authentic mission and “offended non secular beliefs” and ordered the group’s dissolution. The court docket cited “questioning Islamic judgments” and “selling falsehoods by issuing statements in opposition to the Islamic Republic of Iran” as proof of “deviation.”
In October, a number one determine in Iran’s judiciary threatened to take authorized motion in opposition to two British-based Persian media retailers, accusing them of inciting “acts of terrorism” for reporting on protests over Amini’s demise. I threatened you.
Human rights defenders and civil society activists
In the aftermath of protests associated to Mahsa Amini’s demise, Iranian safety providers arrested tons of of human rights defenders, college students, ladies’s rights activists, legal professionals, and journalists, and dozens of others in reference to the assist they’d expressed. Regarding the calls for of protesters who’ve summoned and questioned actors, athletes, and different celebrities.
In January, the Tehran Revolutionary Court Branch 26 sentenced rights activist Narges Mohammadi to 6 years in jail for “meeting and conspiracy for acts in opposition to nationwide safety” and for “acts in opposition to nationwide safety”. He was sentenced to 2 years in jail and 74 lashes for the crime. disrupt public order; ” The abstract trial was held behind closed doorways and she or he was denied entry to her lawyer.Despite Mohammadi’s announcement that she would adjust to a summons to serve her newest sentence after being launched on medical grounds, safety officers mentioned compelled arrest On April 12, she was detained at her house and returned to Garchak Prison. She was nonetheless recovering from her open coronary heart surgical procedure on the finish of February.
On August sixteenth, on the appellate court docket. supported The ruling comes in opposition to 5 human rights defenders who have been charged with “establishing an unlawful group” and “propaganda in opposition to the state” in an try to carry the federal government accountable for its mishandling of the coronavirus disaster. This is the judgment handed down. Before their arrest, all seven rights defenders have been getting ready to file a criticism with the National Task Force for the Prevention of COVID-19. Articles 170 and 173 of the Constitution shield the correct of all residents to method the courts when authorities rules battle with legal guidelines or norms.
Due course of rights, honest trial requirements, and jail circumstances
Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) intelligence providers continued to arrest twin Iranian nationals and foreigners on imprecise expenses similar to “collaborating with a hostile state.” The journey ban on Namazi, an Iranian-American baker, was lifted in October 2022 on medical grounds. Mr. Namazi’s son, Mr. Siamak, was convicted in 2015 on imprecise espionage expenses and acquired a one-week furlough from Evin Prison.
proper to life and execution
Iran stays one of many world’s main international locations implementing the demise penalty. This contains executions of individuals convicted of crimes dedicated as youngsters, in addition to crimes based mostly on vaguely outlined nationwide safety crimes and, in some instances, non-violent crimes.
Iranian regulation considers acts similar to “insulting the Prophet,” “apostasy,” homosexuality, adultery, ingesting alcohol, and sure non-violent drug-related offenses to be punishable by demise. The regulation additionally supplies for the inhuman punishment of flogging for greater than 100 crimes, together with “disruption of public order,” against the law that may punish people for taking part in protests. It has been used to declare.
According to human rights teams, 306 executions have been recorded since Iranian New Year on March 21, of which 130 have been for drug-related expenses and 151 have been for the Islamic precept of kisas (“retaliation in form”). ) is predicated on punishment. The UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran additionally expressed concern in regards to the improve in drug-related executions in his report back to the General Assembly in July 2022. In September, households of demise row prisoners gathered exterior prisons in Tehran and Karaj to peacefully protest what gave the impression to be a rise within the variety of executions over the previous 4 months.
Women’s rights, youngsters’s rights, sexual orientation, gender id
On August 15, a brand new govt order sanctioned ladies who expose their hair on social media, and introduced that feminine civil servants whose profile images don’t present them carrying a hijab might be fired. In September, the secretary of Iran’s Headquarters for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice introduced plans to implement gown codes via digital surveillance of public areas.
Two months later, 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died, sparking nationwide protests. Amini’s demise got here two days after she was arrested on the identical cost of carrying an “inappropriate” hijab.
Although instances of feminine femicide are more and more reported within the media and social media, Iran lacks legal guidelines on home violence to stop abuse and shield survivors.
In November 2021, Iran’s parliament outlawed the free distribution of sterilizations and contraceptives within the public well being system, besides when being pregnant threatens a girl’s well being, lowering already restricted entry to protected abortion. Passed a nationwide regulation limiting entry to sexual and reproductive rights, together with additional restrictions. .
The regulation shifts Iran’s inhabitants planning from offering entry to household planning and contraception, as soon as thought of a hit story by worldwide organizations, to slowing inhabitants development by undermining ladies’s entry to sexual and reproductive well being care. This is a part of a shift within the route of promotion.
Treatment of ethnic minorities, refugees, and immigrants
The authorities additionally discriminates in opposition to different non secular minorities, together with Sunni Muslims, and restricts the cultural and political actions of the nation’s Azerbaijani, Kurdish, Arab, and Baluch minorities. Minority activists are routinely arrested and prosecuted on arbitrary nationwide safety expenses in trials that fall considerably under worldwide requirements.
Decades of mismanagement and neglect of growth insurance policies have led to financial stagnation in areas inhabited by ethnic minorities, similar to Sistan-Baluchistan, Kurdistan, and Khuzestan. Sistan-Baltistan and Kurdistan provinces have lengthy had among the highest unemployment charges within the nation. The authorities additionally restricts the usage of languages and cultural actions of ethnic minorities.
Climate change and environmental coverage and its impacts
As one of many world’s prime 10 greenhouse fuel emitters, Iran is contributing to the local weather disaster and rising human rights hurt around the globe. Most of the emissions come from the vitality sector, with 88 p.c of Iran’s electrical energy coming from fossil fuels. Iran is the tenth largest producer of crude oil and the third largest producer of pure fuel, nevertheless it additionally has nice potential for renewable vitality.
Energy prices are closely backed, which is among the components contributing to excessive per capita vitality depth. Iran has taken little steps to cut back its dependence on fossil fuels and usually cites worldwide sanctions as a barrier to transitioning to scrub vitality. Iran is considered one of six international locations that haven’t but ratified the Paris Agreement.
Throughout Iran, and particularly in Khuzestan, there are long-standing issues about mismanagement of water sources and air pollution from oil exploration. For a long time, environmental specialists have mentioned that growth tasks within the oil-rich Khuzestan province, similar to constructing hydroelectric dams, irrigation tasks, and transferring water to neighboring provinces, are inflicting environmental harm and water shortages, and are threatening varied rights. warned that it was affecting the
main worldwide actors
Despite a number of rounds of oblique negotiations between Iran and the United States in the direction of rejoining the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2015, the United States has imposed a variety of financial and monetary sanctions in opposition to Iran. Maintained.
The Iranian authorities continues to disclaim assist for the Houthi militant group within the Yemeni battle. The US claimed that Iran supplied important “lethal” help.
In September, Russia started utilizing Iranian-made Shahed-136 loitering bombs to assault army bases and vitality infrastructure in Ukraine.
On September 30, on the United Nations Human Rights Council, Chile issued a joint assertion on behalf of a number of international locations urging Iran to conduct a immediate, thorough, impartial, honest and clear investigation into the demise of Mahsa Amini. and requested them to chorus from utilizing unreasonable drive. in opposition to peaceable protesters.
In December, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a decision condemning Iran’s human rights abuses, together with the usage of extreme drive in opposition to protesters.