Human Rights Council Session Begins; Multiple Meetings on Iran on the Agenda

The 28th session of the Human Rights Council will begin on Monday, March 2, at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, with the human rights situation in Iran being the subject of several sessions and resolutions. During this session, which will continue until April 26, a draft resolution on the necessity of Iran's cooperation with the international community regarding human rights will be presented for approval. Additionally, the extension of the mandate of Ahmed Shaheed, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, will be put to a vote at the suggestion of the UK, Sweden, and Algeria representing the African group. Mr. Shaheed has accused the Iranian government of widespread human rights violations and emphasized that "laws, policies, and various institutions in Iran continue to undermine the conditions necessary for the realization of citizens' fundamental rights." His reports have cited numerous instances of executions, torture in prisons, violations of freedom of expression and information, freedom of religion, and freedom of assembly. The Islamic Republic, however, has rejected these reports, accusing Ahmed Shaheed of fabricating a case against the government and has lodged a complaint against him with the UN Commissioner. Nevertheless, the 28th session of the Human Rights Council will hold the second phase of the second cycle of the Universal Periodic Review of the Islamic Republic's human rights record, reviewing the reports of Ahmed Shaheed and Ban Ki-moon, the UN Secretary-General. Mehri Jafari, a human rights activist and lawyer residing in the UK, told Radio Farda: "What is fundamentally important about Mr. Shaheed's reports over the years is that they show the human rights situation in Iran has not changed. In a sense, since 2011 when a special rapporteur for human rights was appointed for Iran, the main issues have remained the same and no progress has been made, such as the number of executions which Mr. Shaheed's reports indicate has worsened, or the execution of children under 18, the issue of women, the issue of the Baha'i minority who continue to be deprived of education and lack personal safety, or the issue of sexual minorities." This human rights activist further states: "The extension of Ahmed Shaheed's mandate is essential, especially now that the Islamic Republic is taking advantage of international conditions and nuclear negotiations while continuing to violate human rights. We see that even after the presidential election of 2013, no significant positive change has occurred. Overall, the situation is discouraging." More than 10 other meetings on Iran will be held During the 28th session of the Human Rights Council, as usual, civil, educational, and human rights organizations will also hold multiple side meetings at the UN headquarters, with more than 10 of these meetings dedicated to the issue of human rights in Iran. Rights of persons with disabilities in Iran, rights of religious minorities in Iran, and rights of sexual minorities in Iran are among these meetings, which organizations like the Austrian NGO Sudwind, a UN advisory organization, are holding. The international Baha'i community is also responsible for organizing another meeting at the UN headquarters, which will take place on March 18, titled "Human Rights in Iran." In this context, Javad Larijani: Individuals in detention can travel to various parts of the country. Ebadi: Civil rights take precedence over political rights. Motahari: Freedom of expression has become more restricted under Rouhani's government. The Deputy of the Judiciary: Two "impartial" human rights reporters will visit Iran. Iran postponed the acceptance of human rights proposals from 108 countries. Iran once again rejected Ahmed Shaheed's report and human rights violations.