Javid Rahman Calls the Suppression of Dissent in Iran During the 1980s 'Crimes Against Humanity' and 'Genocide'

Javid Rahman, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights violations in Iran, described the Islamic Republic's treatment of prisoners, political opponents, and the Baha'i minority in Iran during the 1980s as 'crimes against humanity' and 'genocide' and called for international investigations into this matter. Mr. Rahman, who will soon hand over his mission to another UN rapporteur, published a report on Monday, July 23, detailing the actions of the Islamic Republic against its opponents in the years 1981, 1982, and 1988. In this report, he referred to the extrajudicial and arbitrary executions of thousands of political opponents imprisoned in jails, as well as crimes against humanity in the form of torture, harassment, and enforced disappearances. The Special Rapporteur on Iran reminded that the 'ruthless crimes' noted in the 1980s across Iran represent the 'worst and most egregious' form of human rights violations in our living memory, committed by high-ranking officials of a government against its own people. Javid Rahman emphasized in his report that 'the Iranian regime and its leaders should not escape the consequences of their crimes against humanity and genocide.' He added: 'The brutal crimes include arbitrary and extrajudicial executions in the years 1981-1982 and the brutal crimes of 1988, which include crimes against humanity, murder, and genocide.' Javid Rahman, who has been tasked by the UN Human Rights Council to prepare reports on human rights violations in Iran, will hand over his mission to a new rapporteur at the end of this month. Previously, the UN Human Rights Council appointed Mai Sato, a Japanese lawyer, as the new UN Special Rapporteur on Iran on the last day of its fifty-sixth session. The special rapporteur's duty is to examine the precise human rights situation in Iran and, in this regard, he will attempt to travel to Iran and report the results of his investigations to the UN Human Rights Council. However, this independent expert does not speak on behalf of the United Nations. The Iranian government has not allowed any special rapporteurs, including Javid Rahman, to travel to Iran during his six-year mission and has repeatedly accused him of 'political maneuvering' and 'lack of impartiality.' Javid Rahman noted in his recent report about actions taken in the 1980s: 'Among the executions, there were women, some of whom were sexually assaulted before execution, and many of the executed were children.' He added: 'Crimes against humanity also include imprisonment, torture, and enforced disappearance.' This independent UN expert emphasized: 'The concealment of the fate of thousands of political opponents and the fate of their remains constitutes enforced disappearance, which is considered a crime against humanity.' He called for transparent and impartial investigations in this regard under the auspices of international law. He also stated in this report that since the 1980s, Baha'is in Iran have been targeted with the intent of genocide, and harassment and attacks against religious, ethnic, and linguistic minorities and political opponents have continued with impunity. Mr. Rahman added in his report regarding the actions of the Islamic Republic against prisoners: 'There should be no immunity for such egregious human rights violations, regardless of when they were committed.' This is not the first time that the persecution of Baha'is in Iran has been described as 'crimes against humanity.' Previously, Human Rights Watch announced that the accumulated effect of several decades of systematic repression by the authorities of the Islamic Republic constitutes a severe and intentional deprivation of Baha'is of their fundamental rights, falling under the category of 'crimes against humanity.' After the revolution, Ruhollah Khomeini and then Ali Khamenei, the former and current leaders of the Islamic Republic, issued fatwas declaring Baha'is as 'spies,' 'infidels,' and 'unclean,' whom people should avoid. In July 1980, members of this community in Iran were abducted, and since then, the authorities of the Islamic Republic have not provided any information on this matter. The Islamic Republic does not recognize the Baha'i faith and has systematically targeted this minority over the past four decades, repeatedly arresting their leaders.