Germany's Reaction to the Extension of the Fact-Finding Committee's Mission: We Will Not Abandon the Brave People of Iran

In response to the extension of the UN fact-finding committee's mission, Germany stated, "We will not abandon the brave people of Iran." On Thursday, April 5, the German Foreign Ministry reminded in a message on X media that "one and a half years after the death of Zhina Mahsa Amini and the brutal suppression of the subsequent protests, the human rights situation in Iran remains catastrophic." The statement continued: "For this reason, it is very important that the UN Human Rights Council has today extended the mission of its fact-finding committee." The German Foreign Ministry emphasized that the international community does not ignore the human rights situation in Iran and that those responsible for human rights violations in Iran cannot escape justice, stating: "We will not abandon the brave people of Iran." On the same day, member countries of the UN Human Rights Council voted to extend the mission of the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran and the fact-finding committee for another year. The Human Rights Council, in its fifty-fifth session in Geneva, put the draft resolution regarding the human rights situation in Iran to a vote, which was ultimately approved with 24 votes in favor, eight against, and 15 abstentions. Supporters included the United States, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Albania, Romania, Argentina, Belgium, Benin, Bulgaria, Chile, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Finland, Gambia, Honduras, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Montenegro, Morocco, Paraguay, and Somalia. Eight countries opposed the extension: China, Cuba, Algeria, Indonesia, Sudan, Eritrea, Vietnam, and Burundi. Fifteen countries abstained, including India, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, South Africa, Brazil, Malaysia, the Maldives, Georgia, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. The resolution calls on the Iranian government to fully cooperate with the Special Rapporteur and the fact-finding committee and to grant them unrestricted access to the necessary information to carry out their duties. It also emphasizes the importance of the independent international fact-finding committee's mission to investigate human rights violations related to the protests of September 2022, especially concerning women and children, acknowledging that more time is needed to complete the committee's tasks. The resolution requests the Special Rapporteur to present two reports to the General Assembly and the Human Rights Council and asks the fact-finding committee to report at the Human Rights Council meeting in March next year. The UN Secretary-General is also requested to provide the necessary resources to the Special Rapporteur and the fact-finding committee. The US representative opened the session with the phrase "Woman, Life, Freedom" and stated that the United States strongly supports the extension of the Special Rapporteur's mission and the fact-finding committee, adding that America stands with the people of Iran. The Belgian representative, on behalf of the European Union, expressed deep concern about the human rights situation in Iran and urged the Islamic Republic to end "systematic discrimination" against women and girls. However, the representative of the Islamic Republic raised the issue of the war in Gaza and described the role of the US and Germany in drafting this resolution as "ridiculous." Dozens of human rights organizations and groups had previously called on members of the UN Human Rights Council to extend the mission of the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran and the independent international fact-finding committee regarding Iran at the fifty-fifth session of the Human Rights Council. Javid Rahman, the UN Special Rapporteur for monitoring human rights in Iran, began his mission on July 6, 2018, and his mandate was extended in 2021 and 2022. Throughout his six-year tenure, he has submitted six reports to the Human Rights Council, continuously condemning human rights violations in Iran. Rahman has repeatedly urged Iranian officials to fulfill their human rights commitments and has called on the international community to take action to improve the human rights situation in Iran. In his latest report to the UN Human Rights Council, he reported a 43% increase in executions in 2023 and the ongoing alarming human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Rahman expressed regret that despite continuous requests during his tenure, he has never been granted permission by the Islamic Republic to travel to Iran, calling the human rights situation in the country extremely concerning. The independent international fact-finding committee was established following the death of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini in the custody of the morality police, taking serious steps to hold accountable those responsible for committing crimes by gathering and preserving documents and identifying suspects of human rights violations. This committee, tasked by the UN Human Rights Council to prepare this report on Iran, stated in a report that "institutional discrimination against women and girls" in Iran constitutes "human rights violations and crimes against humanity in the context of recent protests." According to this report, human rights violations in Iran disproportionately affect women, children, and ethnic and religious minorities. The report highlighted the ongoing impact of human rights violations on protesters in Iran while those violating rights enjoy complete impunity within the country, deeming the continuation of the fact-finding committee's activities "vital." It noted: "In recent years, following intensified crackdowns and the emergence of the protests of 2022, the human rights situation in Iran, especially for women, has significantly deteriorated. The issuance and execution of death sentences for protesters and juvenile offenders have markedly increased in Iran over the past year, in clear contradiction to international laws." Matthew Miller, a spokesperson for the US State Department, stated on March 15 that the United States strongly wishes to extend the activities of the fact-finding committee and the mission of the UN Human Rights Council's Special Rapporteur on Iran for another year. Mahmoud Amiri-Moghaddam stated that the fact-finding committee has managed to unveil the crimes of the Islamic Republic within a short time and with many limitations. Sara Hussein noted that the fact-finding committee faced many challenges from the Islamic Republic in preparing its reports. Shiva Mahbubi emphasized that a significant point in the fact-finding committee's report was the systematic and deliberate nature of Mahsa Amini's murder. Saeed Dehghan described the fact-finding committee's report as the most comprehensive human rights report from the UN during the lifetime of the Islamic Republic. Javid Rahman's report and the fact-finding committee regarding the protests in Iran were discussed with Raha Bahreini and Hadi Qayemi. The Berkeley Human Rights Center reported that over 120 Iranians were shot in the eyes during the protests of 2022. More than 40 Iranian and international organizations have called for monitoring the human rights situation in Iran. The fact-finding committee stated that the Islamic Republic has committed "crimes against humanity."