Two Human Rights Organizations Warn About 'Worrying Situation' in Iran: Immediate International Attention Needed

Two human rights organizations, in their monthly report for Mordad 1403, emphasized the escalation of human rights violations by the Islamic Republic in Iran, including executions, violations of individual and social freedoms, military and judicial violence, and living conditions leading to labor protests. According to a report by Hrana, the media organ of the Human Rights Activists in Iran, on Thursday, September 1, the 'scope of human rights violations' by the Islamic Republic across Iran has been 'shocking' and includes 'violations of prisoners' rights, freedom of expression, the right to education, children's rights, domestic violence, gender-based violence, health and environment, labor rights, and military and judicial violence.' The findings of this report indicate that 'the execution of sentences in cases where fair judicial processes have not been observed' has faced a wave of 'widespread repression of freedom of expression and arbitrary arrests.' Furthermore, the report emphasizes 'widespread violations of the right to education through the suspension of students, suicides resulting from pressure and despair among children and adolescents, and a worrying increase in gender-based murders, including femicide and girl murder, violence against women, the continuation of labor rights violations and unfair working conditions, and excessive use of force by law enforcement and security forces.' This human rights organization also stressed that the total number of reported human rights violations in Mordad 1403 'reflects a worrying situation and urgency for the international community and the [Islamic Republic] government of Iran to pay attention to these issues.' The report mentions the violation of the right to life through the execution of political prisoners Kamran Sheikhe and Reza Rasayi, as well as the execution of dozens of non-political prisoners. Additionally, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network reported that in Mordad, four kolbars named 'Ehsan Noorouzi, Nazem Safari, Asad Afranjah, and Ali Rasouli' were killed following gunfire from Islamic Republic military forces in the border areas of Kurdistan, Kermanshah, and West Azerbaijan provinces, and 10 kolbars were injured by government forces' fire in these border areas. This network also noted the issuance of a death sentence for Pakhshan Azizi on charges of 'baghi' through 'membership in the PJAK group' and 'effective activity and effort using weapons to advance the goals of groups that have engaged in armed rebellion against the Islamic government.' The Kurdistan Human Rights Network also reported the arrest and imprisonment of 'at least 27 Kurdish citizens' in various cities of Kurdistan, Kermanshah, Ilam, West Azerbaijan, and Tehran by intelligence agencies, with two of them transferred to prison for execution of sentences and 10 released on bail. The report also mentions the issuance of an eight-year and ten-month prison sentence for Mashallah Karami, the father of the executed protester Mohammad Mahdi Karami, and the arrest of Ahmad and Solmaz Hassanzadeh, the father and sister of the killed protester Mohammad Hassanzadeh, in Mordad. Additionally, the Iranian judiciary has filed charges against 89 citizens five years after the November 98 protests. The Iran Human Rights Campaign reported that at least 34 political prisoners have been deprived of adequate medical services in the past two and a half months. Sina Yousafi, a lawyer, was sentenced to prison for commenting on the crash of Raisi's helicopter. The Iranian judiciary executed two prisoners in Yazd and Urmia. Three Baha'i citizens were sentenced to prison, fines, and a ban on leaving Iran in an appeals court in Isfahan. The United Nations declared the beating of Narges Mohammadi and other women in Evin prison as a form of 'torture.' A letter from 50 civil and political activists to Biden urged the imposition of 'heavy and comprehensive sanctions' on the Iranian government.