The Mission of Ahmad Shaheed, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran, Extended

Reports indicate that the UN Human Rights Council extended Ahmad Shaheed's mission as the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran for another year on Wednesday. This marks the sixth consecutive year that Mr. Shaheed has been appointed to investigate the human rights situation in Iran. According to these reports, the UN Human Rights Council extended Mr. Shaheed's mission with 20 votes in favor, 15 against, and 11 abstentions. Last year, the council also confirmed Mr. Shaheed's mission with 20 votes in favor, 11 against, and 16 abstentions. Although the Human Rights Council approved Ahmad Shaheed's mission for another year, the number of opponents to the extension had increased during this period. Reports suggest that Russia, China, and Venezuela were among the countries calling for the end of Ahmad Shaheed's mission. Meanwhile, several Western countries, including the UK, called for the extension of Mr. Shaheed's mission, citing the human rights situation in Iran. Previously, several human rights advocacy groups had called for the extension of Mr. Shaheed's mission, referencing the human rights situation in Iran. However, Mohammad Javad Larijani, head of the Iranian Human Rights Headquarters affiliated with the judiciary, stated last month that the Islamic Republic opposes the 'appointment of a special rapporteur on human rights and the resolution to extend this reporting.' Last month, Ahmad Shaheed reported that nearly a thousand people were executed in Iran in 2015, half of whom were convicted of drug-related offenses. During the past five years that he has served as the UN Special Rapporteur, Ahmad Shaheed has been unable to travel to Iran due to the opposition of Iranian authorities.