The UN Special Rapporteur on Iran, Javaid Rehman, accused the Islamic Republic on Tuesday, March 12, of intensifying the repression of human rights activists, lawyers, and labor and union activists. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the UN Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva, he stated, "This situation is extremely concerning as the crackdown is becoming more severe." According to him, the Iranian government is increasingly becoming "less tolerant" of criticism and dissent. Rehman then called for the release of Nasrin Sotoudeh, a lawyer and human rights activist, who has recently been reported to have received varying sentences of long-term imprisonment. The Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA) reported on Monday, citing a judicial official, that Ms. Sotoudeh was sentenced to five years and two years in prison for "conspiracy and collusion against the regime" and "insulting the leader," respectively. However, Reza Khandan, Nasrin Sotoudeh's husband, claims that she has been notified of a 38-year prison sentence and 148 lashes. Khandan stated that of the total prison sentences issued against his wife, the longest one, which is 10 years, is being enforced. The UN Special Rapporteur on Iran further added, "I call on the Iranian government to release all lawyers who are peacefully doing their work." Javaid Rehman recently presented his second report on the human rights situation in Iran to the UN Human Rights Council, which states that Iran has the highest number of executions of offenders who were still considered children at the time of their crimes. According to his report, "At least 33 offenders under 18 years old have been executed since 2013." He added that Ms. Sotoudeh's trial was conducted in her absence and that many violations occurred during this trial that infringed upon her rights. Previously, one of Nasrin Sotoudeh's lawyers stated that she had refrained from attending her court hearing in protest against the failure to adhere to the rules and regulations of a fair trial.
UN Reporter: Crackdown in Iran Has Intensified
The UN Special Rapporteur on Iran, Javaid Rehman, has reported an intensification of government repression against human rights activists, particularly targeting lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, who faces severe prison sentences. This situation raises significant concerns about human rights violations in Iran and the government's increasing intolerance towards dissent.
👥 Key Players
⚡ Actions
📰 What Happened
UN Special Rapporteur Javaid Rehman accused Iran of intensifying repression against activists.
- Iranian government crackdown human rights activists, lawyers, labor and union activists
- Javaid Rehman announce Nasrin Sotoudeh
- Iranian authorities sentence Nasrin Sotoudeh
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
The Iranian government's repression of dissent is intensifying, drawing international condemnation.
📝 Key Evidence
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
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Translation confidence: 85%