Anniversary of Mahsa; Exclusive; Javid Rahman: A Very 'Disastrous' Year for Human Rights Violations

Javid Rahman, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, expressed regret on Friday about the human rights situation in Iran over the past year. In an exclusive interview with the Persian section of Voice of America, on the eve of the one-year anniversary of the killing of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini while in the custody of the Islamic Republic's morality police, he stated that Iran has experienced a very 'disastrous' year in terms of human rights violations, women's rights, and the rights of ethnic and religious minorities. Mr. Rahman referred to his activities over the past year, including submitting two reports to the UN Human Rights Council and the UN General Assembly, as well as his efforts to establish a fact-finding committee of the Human Rights Council. He noted that he had sent messages to Iranian officials in Geneva and New York, stating that unfortunately, Iranian officials resist any communication 'with me.' He added that he was supposed to visit Iran in July 2018, but the Islamic Republic officials prevented him from doing so. The UN Special Rapporteur concluded by mentioning the tragic and sorrowful events that have occurred in Iran since Mahsa's death, stating that democracy and the rule of law will surely prevail in Iran one day. On Friday, two separate meetings were held at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva regarding the human rights situation in Iran. In these meetings, human rights activists emphasized the continuation of their activities condemning the Islamic Republic in international judicial forums. In addition to representatives from countries around the world, activists from ethnic and religious minorities and sexual minorities were present at these meetings. Michelle Taylor, the US Ambassador to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, described silence in the face of 'the injustice of the Iranian regime' as complicity with oppression and stated, 'Every silenced voice, every suppressed protest, further reveals the regime's brutal ferocity.' As the anniversary of Mahsa's killing by the Islamic Republic's morality police approaches, pressures on the families of victims of protests have increased, and dozens have been arrested. At the same time, the US, UK, Canada, and Australia have imposed a new round of sanctions against officials and entities responsible for suppressing peaceful Iranian protesters. On the anniversary of Mahsa, the US sanctioned 25 Iranian individuals, three state-affiliated media outlets, and one internet company. The US President's statement on the anniversary of Mahsa: 'We will remain committed to standing with the people of Iran.' Molavi Abdolhamid: 'The awakening of the Iranian nation is the beginning of victory; Mahsa's death was painful for all people.' 24 social media activists were arrested in Gilan on charges of 'inciting public disorder.' New UK sanctions against the Islamic Republic; James Cleverly: 'Our support for the women of Iran continues.' Human Rights Watch: 'The Islamic Republic has intensified its crackdown on civil society.' HRANA: '292 protesters and civil activists have been arrested in Iran over the past 50 days.'