Human Rights Campaign for Iran During Rouhani's Presence in New York

"Human Rights Campaign in Iran" on Thursday, September 29, issued a statement urging the international community to directly address the dire human rights situation in Iran with Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, during his attendance at the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The campaign called on diplomats to raise issues regarding the detention of civil activists who were peacefully protesting, the status of imprisoned lawyers, and other political prisoners with Rouhani. The statement also expressed expectations from international media to hold Iranian officials accountable by asking direct and clear questions about the human rights situation in Iran during interviews and press conferences. Hadi Ghaemi, the director of the Human Rights Campaign in Iran, stated in an interview with the campaign's website that "over the past five years, Rouhani has evaded accountability regarding the critical human rights situation in Iran by hiding behind the claim that he has no control over the judiciary and that it is 'independent.'" However, according to Ghaemi, "the Ministry of Intelligence under Rouhani's government is one of the main violators of human rights in Iran due to the detention of activists and lawyers." The director emphasized that an independent judiciary should not mean that they can freely detain citizens engaged in peaceful activities. Ghaemi noted that even with the limitations on the president's power, Rouhani could still stop some of the violations of rights against Iranians perpetrated by his own Ministry of Intelligence. He added that Rouhani could openly speak about the widespread violations of people's rights by the judiciary but has refrained from doing so. Ghaemi concluded that five years after Rouhani's administration came to power, it is clearer than ever that despite the promises he made during his election campaign, human rights have no place in Rouhani's agenda. The Human Rights Campaign in Iran has organized efforts during Rouhani's presence in New York and throughout the ongoing sessions of the United Nations General Assembly to "raise awareness and focus attention on current violations of the rights of Iranian citizens." This includes a vehicle carrying images of some Iranian political prisoners that will circulate around the UN headquarters in New York. The campaign emphasized that the images of prisoners displayed on both sides of this truck represent "only a small fraction of the political prisoners imprisoned in Iran" and expressed hope that "the unjust conditions they face in prison, as well as the wide range of rights violations in Iran, will be directly addressed when world diplomats meet with their Iranian counterparts." The report from the Human Rights Campaign in Iran mentions imprisoned human rights lawyers such as Nasrin Sotoudeh and imprisoned civil and political activist Narges Mohammadi. Women imprisoned for peaceful protests against mandatory hijab, leaders of labor activists imprisoned for defending workers' rights, as well as the detention of several religious minorities, especially Baha'is and individuals who have converted to Christianity, are among the groups and individuals cited by the Human Rights Campaign in Iran as examples of human rights violations and the lack of respect for the rights of detainees or instances of torture. Hassan Rouhani is scheduled to travel to New York on October 1 to participate and speak at the 73rd United Nations General Assembly. According to the government's information website, in addition to his speech at the General Assembly, Rouhani will also deliver another speech at a peace meeting honoring Nelson Mandela in the UN General Assembly hall. Rouhani is expected to meet and discuss with several heads of state present at the General Assembly, the UN Secretary-General, and some heads of international organizations. In this context, the Élysée Palace, the official residence of the French President, announced last Wednesday that Emmanuel Macron would meet and discuss with Hassan Rouhani during the United Nations meeting in New York. According to reports, Emmanuel Macron will speak at the General Assembly next Tuesday and meet with Hassan Rouhani.