Silent Journey; UN Dismisses Concerns About Neda Al-Nashif's Visit to Iran

The spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office confirmed that Neda Al-Nashif, the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, entered Iran on Friday and left the country on Monday, meeting with relevant government officials, judicial authorities, and UN partners. Ravina Shamdasani told Michael Lipin, a reporter for the English section of Voice of America, that she is aware of the concerns raised by human rights groups and activists regarding Al-Nashif's visit to Iran, but assures that the trip will not be exploited or used for propaganda by the Islamic Republic. In a statement sent via email, she wrote: 'We are aware of the concerns raised, but we assure you that this meeting will not undermine our approach to reporting and supporting human rights in Iran.' According to her, 'high-level direct engagement with officials and institutions of the Islamic Republic is a very important tool' for following up on the recommendations of independent UN human rights experts, including special rapporteurs and the independent mission of the fact-finding group regarding human rights violations in Iran. However, the group 'United for Iran,' based in the United States, reacted skeptically to the statement from the UN Human Rights Office spokesperson. Kevin Schumacher, the CEO of this group, said in an interview with the English section of Voice of America: 'I can't imagine that the Iranian government would suddenly be willing to open a new chapter and use Al-Nashif's visit as an opportunity to begin a dialogue about the human rights situation in Iran.' He added, 'If the political visit of the UN official to Iran had been accompanied by a fact-finding visit to the country, it would have been very surprising, but the problem is that the Islamic Republic is not willing to accept both, and in this situation, we prefer to achieve fact-finding missions instead of political dialogue.' Iranian state media had previously reported on Neda Al-Nashif's visit but did not publish any news about her meetings in Iran. Human rights activists inside and outside Iran had urged Al-Nashif, the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, to use her three-day trip to investigate the situation of political opponents in Iranian prisons and meet with political prisoners, injured protesters, and other Iranians deprived of basic rights, while ensuring that such meetings take place in an environment free from intimidation by officials. According to a report by the English section of Voice of America, it is unclear from the statement of the UN Human Rights Office whether Al-Nashif participated in such meetings or not. Families of the victims of the downed Ukrainian airplane gathered in front of the UN office in Tehran on Saturday, February 4, demanding to meet with Al-Nashif and seeking justice for the deceased. A video sent to the Persian section of Voice of America shows that government forces of the Islamic Republic dispersed them with verbal threats. It is unclear whether Al-Nashif met with the protesters or not. An alliance of 25 international human rights groups also sent an open letter to Al-Nashif on January 29, noting the uncertainty about her access to independent civil society activists, urging her to postpone her trip. These groups also warned that the Islamic Republic might use its engagement with Al-Nashif to convince the UN Human Rights Council, which begins later this month, that there is no need to continue monitoring and investigating human rights violations by Tehran. This report is based on an article by Michael Lipin, a reporter for the English section of Voice of America.