Documenting the Suppression of Protests in Javanrud; Adnan Hassanpour to VOA: It was a 'Crime Against Humanity'

Two human rights organizations have published a joint report documenting the 'violent suppression of citizens in Javanrud' in Kermanshah province during the fall and winter of 2022, coinciding with the anniversary of the 'Women, Life, Freedom' protests. The '94-page' report by the Human Rights Campaign in Iran and the Kurdistan Human Rights Network, released on September 5, 2023, titled 'Javanrud; The Fire of War of the Ruling Power Against the Empty Hands and the Trenches of People's Anger,' includes 'an examination of hundreds of photos and videos' and interviews with 38 eyewitnesses and family members of the deceased, injured, and detained in Javanrud. The report emphasizes that from October 8 to December 30, 2022, the security forces of the Islamic Republic deliberately targeted protesters in this city using military weapons, resulting in the deaths of eight citizens, including a child. The report also states that 'at least 80 people, including children, were severely injured' and 'in many cases, the injured were beaten by security forces'; furthermore, 'there were numerous problems and obstacles in accessing medical services for the victims.' According to the research report, '89 people,' including '26 children,' were 'arbitrarily' detained, and 'many of them, including children, were tortured and in some cases threatened with sexual abuse.' These two human rights organizations have stated that 'the families of the deceased, injured, and detained have been pressured by security agencies to remain silent about the status of their loved ones.' Hadi Ghaemi, director of the Human Rights Campaign in Iran, stated that 'the crimes of the Islamic Republic in Javanrud were systematic and carried out with the full knowledge and guidance of government officials, using a wide range of military equipment against the people, which constitutes a crime against humanity.' The report highlights that 'none of the government officials have been held accountable for the killing and injuring of Javanrud citizens.' The director of the Human Rights Campaign in Iran emphasized that 'the international community must remain vigilant and warn the officials of the Islamic Republic about the severe political and economic consequences following the first signs of government violence against the people.' Additionally, Rabin Rahmani, a board member of the Kurdistan Human Rights Network, expressed concern about 'a new wave of security and judicial crackdowns on citizens and Kurdish activists in various cities,' stating that 'the low cost of human rights violations' in Kurdistan and Sistan and Baluchestan is 'one of the reasons for the recurrence of crimes similar to those in Javanrud and Zahedan.' The report recommends that the UN fact-finding committee thoroughly investigate the events in Javanrud and urges human rights organizations and researchers to 'make every effort' to 'obtain evidence, medical records, and eyewitness reports' and 'submit them to the UN fact-finding committee.' Calling for the summoning of the ambassadors of the Islamic Republic of Iran and a 'strong condemnation of the crime in Javanrud' is another demand of these two human rights organizations from 'governments around the world,' and they have asked 'international legal associations and human rights organizations' to 'publicly support calls for the prosecution of Islamic Republic officials under the principle of universal jurisdiction.' Hadi Ghaemi also referred to 'the rising level of dissatisfaction among citizens in Iran' and stated that on the eve of the anniversary of the nationwide protests of 2022, 'there is a possibility of widespread protests forming again at any time,' and 'the international community can only hope to prevent the recurrence of these crimes by holding the Islamic Republic accountable and imposing costs on it.' Adnan Hassanpour, a journalist and member of the Kurdistan Human Rights Network, told VOA that 'the bloody suppression in Javanrud' was legally 'a clear example of a crime against humanity.'