Narges Mohammadi: The Islamic Republic Should Be Removed from the Presidency of the Human Rights Council's Social Assembly

Narges Mohammadi, the imprisoned vice president of the Center for Human Rights Defenders, in a letter to Vaclav Balek, the President of the United Nations Human Rights Council, called for the "removal of the Islamic Republic" from the presidency of the Social Assembly of this council. Mr. Balek had previously announced that the two-day meeting of the Social Assembly of the UN Human Rights Council would be held in November this year under the presidency of Ali Bahraini, the ambassador of the Islamic Republic, at the organization's office in Geneva, Switzerland. The presidency of the Islamic Republic over the General Assembly of the Human Rights Council occurred despite widespread criticism for decades due to reports of human rights violations both inside and outside Iran. Additionally, the Islamic Republic has repeatedly opposed visits by UN special rapporteurs on human rights in Iran. In response to a letter from the Israeli ambassador, the President of the Human Rights Council defended the process of appointing the representative of the Islamic Republic as the head of the Social Assembly. In her letter, published on Monday, June 5, on the Telegram channel of the Center for Human Rights Defenders, Mohammadi wrote: "The Islamic Republic government is clearly and undoubtedly one of the violators of human rights in the world." She referred to "street killings, widespread executions, torture of protesters and critics in solitary confinement, and assault and rape of protesting women in detention centers." This imprisoned human rights activist emphasized that these are "only part of the heavy and disgraceful record of human rights violations by the Islamic Republic" and added that she has "evidence and documentation for each of my claims from Evin Prison and I testify." In part of her letter, referring to the fact that the Islamic Republic government has "used all means of repression to destroy civil society in Iran," she asked: "Has the Human Rights Council asked the Islamic Republic what has happened to civil institutions in Iran, including the Writers' Association, the Center for Human Rights Defenders, women's organizations, environmentalists, teachers, workers, journalists, students, ethnic, religious, and sexual minorities, and what is the situation of the imprisoned members of these institutions?" Ms. Mohammadi described the recent action of the Human Rights Council as "contradictory, ambiguous, and disappointing" and added: "The Islamic Republic has been a serious violator of human rights and a destroyer of civil society in Iran and has never had open interaction and dialogue with the people of Iran and must sit in the United Nations and before the Human Rights Council in the position of an accused and accountable to the people of Iran and the world, not in the position of its presidency." She emphasized that it is expected that "the Human Rights Council should defend human rights defenders, not honor, respect, and support a government that violates human rights under the pretext of ineffective rules and procedures." She wrote: "For me, as for my fellow countrymen, it will not be bearable to remain silent and allow a government that violates human rights to press one boot on our necks while placing the other polished shoe on the seat of human rights institutions in the West." In the conclusion of her letter to Vaclav Balek, she urged him to "take urgent and meaningful action to defend the foundations of human rights by removing the Islamic Republic from the presidency of the Social Assembly" because it is unworthy for the Human Rights Council to "become a haven for enemies of human rights." Ms. Mohammadi, 51, has a long history of imprisonment and harsh punishments, including torture and solitary confinement. She was released in 2020 after serving 8.5 years in prison but is now serving the remainder of her 16-year sentence in Evin Prison. Additionally, she was awarded the "Freedom of Writing" prize by the American PEN Association, which was given to her husband. In May, along with Niloufar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi, two imprisoned journalists, she won the UNESCO World Press Freedom Prize. In June, the American PEN Association also awarded the "Freedom of Writing" prize to this imprisoned human rights activist. Following the selection of the Islamic Republic as "Vice President of the 78th General Assembly of the United Nations" and also as "Reporter of the UN Disarmament Commission," Chris Lu, the US Special Representative to the United Nations, condemned the selection of these two titles for the Islamic Republic, stating: "The United States voted against the selection of the Islamic Republic as Vice President in the 78th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations because the Islamic Republic's disgraceful record of ignoring UN Security Council arms sanctions, violating the human rights of Iranians, and employing violence and exporting arms to enhance insecurity and increase violence in the Middle East and around the world is a black record." Mansour Farhang: Narges Mohammadi is a freedom fighter who has drawn global attention. Karen Kalikar: We consider Narges Mohammadi a symbol of all imprisoned Iranians. They all must be freed. Susan Nossel: Narges Mohammadi is an extraordinary example of Iranian resilience and courage. Narges Mohammadi's warning about the situation of Nahid Taghavi, a dual-national prisoner: Her pain has broken her. Narges Mohammadi and Golrokh Iraee are still banned from visiting due to presenting a paper at the "Save Iran" conference. Political prisoners in the women's ward of Evin oppose executions: "Overthrow is closer than a vein to the Islamic Republic."