Javid Rahman Calls for Visit to Iran in His First Human Rights Report

Javid Rahman, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, who was appointed in July, has requested the Iranian authorities to lift the travel ban on him and allow him entry into the country in his first report. Mr. Rahman previously told Radio Farda that he intends to discuss his visit to Iran with officials: "It is very disappointing for human rights activists and the UN that special rapporteurs have been unable to travel to Iran. It is important for rapporteurs to have full access to resources." In his first report, the Special Rapporteur emphasized his intention to establish constructive negotiations with Iranian officials to fulfill his duties. He welcomed the spirit of engagement following his meeting with a representative of the Islamic Republic, stating that a potential visit to Iran, based on unimpeded communications and contacts, is of great importance and would enhance interactions between the special rapporteur and responsible officials in human rights matters in the Islamic Republic. In his first report, Javid Rahman reviewed previous reports from the UN and monitoring bodies, reiterating several concerns regarding the human rights situation in Iran, including violations of the right to life (executions), particularly the execution of juvenile offenders, torture, the right to assembly, freedom of expression and belief, women's rights, and the rights of ethnic and religious minorities. He also called for attention and dialogue on other issues that concern human rights observers, including violations of economic, cultural, and social rights, the situation of human rights defenders, the status of dual-national prisoners, and allegations related to mass executions in the 1980s. Mr. Rahman emphasized the requests of the UN Secretary-General, reiterating his call for Iranian authorities to end the imprisonment of individuals detained during peaceful protests, including demonstrators from recent months. This Pakistani lawyer has called for investigations into the deaths of detainees during imprisonment and other allegations regarding violations of prisoners' rights. Javid Rahman has expressed "deep concern" about the execution of offenders in their youth and has urged Iranian authorities to immediately halt the execution of all individuals who committed crimes under the age of 18. This request has been made multiple times by international bodies, including UN-affiliated organizations and global human rights advocates. Nevertheless, these executions continue. The most recent case that has raised concern is that of Zainab Sakanvand; Amnesty International stated on October 1 that Ms. Sakanvand, who allegedly committed a crime at the age of 17, is likely to be executed soon. Javid Rahman, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, has called for an end to torture and other inhumane treatment during detention and imprisonment, the cessation of all violations of women's rights, and respect for the rights of ethnic groups and minorities. Tehran has yet to respond to Javid Rahman's report, but in almost all previous cases, it has rejected such reports. In the final months of the mission of Asma Jahangir, the former rapporteur on Iran, the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry described her report as "a collection of false information and incorrect prejudgments" and stated that Tehran does not recognize the report and the mission of the special rapporteur. Javid Rahman, 51, was born in Faisalabad, Pakistan, and holds a PhD in international law. This human rights activist has conducted research on religious freedom, global human rights laws, and Islamic laws, and is currently a professor at Brunel University London. The UN Human Rights Council officially introduced him as the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran on July 6. Andres Aguilar was the first special rapporteur on human rights in Iran, appointed in 1984. He was followed by Professor Rinaldo Poll, who visited Iran three times between 1990 and 1992 but was banned from entering after his third visit. No one was appointed to this position between 2002 and 2011. Subsequently, Ahmed Shaheed, Asma Jahangir, and finally Javid Rahman were appointed to this position.