Narges Mohammadi: The Islamic Republic is Destroying Iran's Civil Society

The Instagram page attributed to Narges Mohammadi, a political activist imprisoned in Evin Prison, published excerpts from her interview with Radio France, stating that she believes the Islamic Republic's selection for the presidency of the Social Assembly is fundamentally contradictory, disappointing, and ambiguous. Mohammadi says: "The Islamic Republic is destroying Iran's civil society, yet it is supposed to engage in dialogue with civil institutions at this meeting." According to her, the Islamic Republic is a blatant and obvious violator of human rights and a repressive and violent government, yet it has taken on the presidency of a global assembly aimed at improving human rights conditions worldwide. Mohammadi argues that the selection of the Islamic Republic is not only a strategic error in the political arena but also presents a misleading and distorted image of the power of a 'religious, misogynistic, dictatorial government,' undermining the position of the United Nations and the Human Rights Council in today's perilous world. Furthermore, she claims that this action, akin to a treacherous act against human rights, will render 'human rights' devoid of authentic content based on the philosophical foundations of 'rights' and 'humanity,' merely serving as a manipulative and even hateful tool. Mohammadi continues: "As a human rights activist who has been sentenced to 32 years in prison and 154 lashes in six trials and is currently imprisoned, I believe that the selection of the Islamic Republic as the president of the Social Assembly, aside from being a strategic and political error, represents an undeniable degradation of human rights to the level of power struggles and conflicts behind the scenes of economic policies, which will ultimately be an irreparable, historical, and irreversible mistake." She concludes by expressing pride in paying heavy costs for defending human rights but states: "I am ashamed of the actions of the Human Rights Council." Narges Mohammadi, 51, is considered a staunch defender of human rights in Iran, with a long history of enduring imprisonment and severe punishments such as torture and solitary confinement, and is currently serving a 16-year sentence in Evin Prison. Following the election of the Islamic Republic as 'Vice President of the 78th United Nations General Assembly' and 'Reporter of the United Nations Disarmament Commission,' Chris Lu, the U.S. Special Representative to the United Nations, condemned the selection of these two titles for the Islamic Republic, stating: "The U.S. voted against the Islamic Republic's election as Vice President of the 78th General Assembly because of the Islamic Republic's dismal record of ignoring UN Security Council arms sanctions, violating the human rights of Iranians, and employing violence and exporting weapons to enhance insecurity and increase violence in the Middle East and around the world."