Iran's Judiciary Chief Criticizes 'Pressure from International Bodies' on Human Rights

Sadeq Amoli Larijani, the head of Iran's judiciary, criticized the 'pressure from international bodies regarding human rights violations in Iran,' stating that due to 'external pressure,' the issue of human rights has become 'one of the significant challenges' facing the Islamic Republic. In a lengthy live interview with state television on Saturday night, July 2, he said: 'Our enemies' use human rights as 'a tool to exert pressure on the Islamic Republic, and some within the country echo their sentiments.' Iranian officials have not allowed any UN special rapporteurs on human rights to visit Iran; however, Sadeq Larijani accused international bodies of obtaining their news from other sources, including the People's Mujahedin Organization, and therefore they are unable to 'monitor and assess human rights indicators in Iran.' Over the past 39 years, the UN and its affiliated bodies have issued a resolution on human rights violations in Iran almost every year, except for a few cases. The high number of executions, persecution of religious, ethnic, and social minorities, and suppression of civil liberties are among the issues repeatedly mentioned in UN resolutions against human rights violations in Iran. According to international organizations, the Islamic Republic of Iran has been one of the top three countries in the world with the highest execution rates in recent decades. Nevertheless, Sadeq Larijani referred to these issues as 'incorrect accusations' and stated regarding the high execution rates in Iran: 'The judiciary is the executor of the verdict.' The head of the judiciary, who is appointed by the Supreme Leader, accused the UN of 'subservience to hegemonic countries in the field of human rights' and called the US 'having a dark record in human rights.' Sadeq Larijani also criticized the US for its exit from the UN Human Rights Council while it publishes an annual global human rights report, calling it 'surprising.' The US State Department publishes an annual report on the performance of countries regarding human rights, which is the 'most-read document' of this department globally, but this annual report 'does not judge countries but is prepared for awareness of the situation.' The latest annual report from the US State Department on religious freedoms worldwide was published a few weeks ago, stating that despite Hassan Rouhani's promises to improve the situation of religious minorities in Iran, no progress has been observed in this regard. Iranian officials have always described these annual reports as 'incorrect' and 'politically motivated' but have not provided detailed responses to the issues mentioned in them. Sadeq Amoli Larijani criticized the dissemination of news regarding executions by what he called a 'media octopus' and harshly condemned the reports regarding the execution of Mohammad Thalath, a member of the Gonabadi dervishes. During a widespread security crackdown on a gathering of Gonabadi dervishes in Pasdaran Street, Tehran, a bus attacked security forces, killing three of them. Judicial officials identified Mohammad Thalath as the bus driver and announced his execution on Tuesday, June 18. However, Thalath's children and lawyer stated that he had been 'arrested three hours before the incident and had confessed to this due to several hours of torture at the police station.' The head of the judiciary, without naming Mohammad Thalath, severely criticized the Western approach and some lawyers within the country regarding the execution of the 'criminal of Pasdaran Street.' International human rights organizations have criticized the lack of transparency in the judicial process in Mohammad Thalath's case and called for a postponement and retrial. The US State Department condemned the execution of Mohammad Thalath and the arrest of his lawyer, and the European Union also noted the 'serious questions' raised by his judicial process, stating: 'It seems that key evidence that could prove his innocence was dismissed.' Sadeq Amoli Larijani emphasized the 'fundamental disagreement' between the Islamic Republic and the West regarding human rights concepts and described the performance of the 'Human Rights Headquarters of the Judiciary' as 'good but insufficient.' The 'Human Rights Headquarters of the Judiciary' is an institution that began its practical activities in 2005, and its leadership has been held by the brother of the head of the judiciary, Mohammad Javad Larijani, since its inception. So far, no comprehensive and public report on the performance of this institution has been published, and its head mainly engages in political discussions, including those related to the JCPOA, with the media, except for a few cases where he denies human rights accusations against the Islamic Republic. In an interview published three days ago on the website of this institution, Mohammad Javad Larijani claimed that 'the Islamic Republic of Iran has the most modern judicial system in the Islamic world, the region, and West Asia.' In his Saturday night interview with state television, the head of the judiciary mentioned that the number of judicial cases processed in courts last year was 12 million and 300 thousand, rejecting criticisms of the judiciary's 'ineffectiveness.'