UN Special Rapporteur's Concern Over Executions, Human Rights Violations, and Freedoms in Iran

The UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Iran has released a report based on six months of research, expressing concern over the number of executions and torture, the execution of minors, the trial and harassment of human rights activists, freedom of expression, and the status of women's rights, as well as ethnic and religious minorities. The Iranian representative and several other countries also spoke at this meeting. Asma Jahangir, the UN Special Rapporteur, presented her first report in her current role on October 25, 2017, to representatives from Iran and other countries during the 'Third Committee' session of the UN General Assembly, which prominently featured the situation of the Muslim minority in Myanmar and the human rights situation in Iran. Jahangir expressed concern over the number of executions in Iran, recalling that at least four defendants who committed crimes as minors have been executed since the beginning of this year, and 86 other minors are awaiting execution. She has also expressed deep concern regarding reports of torture, as well as the prosecution, trial, and harassment of human rights activists. Jahangir stated that she continues to receive reports of violations of freedom of expression, harassment of journalists, and their summons by government agencies. She expressed concern over the arbitrary detention of dual citizens and mentioned that her report contains details of specific cases. Jahangir welcomed the promises made by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani regarding women's rights but emphasized that the 'strange' reactions to online campaigns against compulsory hijab, alongside other issues, indicate that the Iranian government must take further actions to fulfill its promises. The UN representative also stressed that there are concerns regarding the rights and status of women and that discriminatory laws and policies against these citizens must be abolished. The Special Rapporteur expressed concern about the status of ethnic minorities and those who believe in other beliefs and religions, citing reports of prosecution, arbitrary arrests, or torture of these citizens. Jahangir called for reforms in Iran's judicial mechanisms and requested that responsible officials clarify the status of serial killings at the end of the 1990s. The UN Rapporteur expressed concern about the emergence and expansion of the 'rule of law' and added that Tehran should invite her for a visit and investigation. Jahangir reminded that her report is based on verified information received from citizens inside and outside Iran. In part of her speech, she noted that representatives of the Islamic Republic cooperated with her and answered most of the questions she raised. She also spoke about the occurrence of 'positive changes' and 'high participation rates' in local elections. In response to Jahangir's remarks, the representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran stated that Tehran has been targeted by a 'selective political agenda' and added that there is no specific reason for four reports to be specifically and solely related to Iran. Mohammad Hosseini-Nejad emphasized that the new report was also published with political objectives and far from realities and professionalism. According to this Iranian official, issues such as the US presidential decree banning the entry of citizens from Muslim countries or 'illegal sanctions' have not been addressed in the UN reports, and the current report on Iran also ignores the citizens of this country who have been victims of terrorism. Hosseini-Nejad reiterated his criticism of special reports on a specific country, stating that Jahangir's report was not based on 'meaningful dialogue and interaction.' Some countries, including the United States and Saudi Arabia, have criticized the human rights situation in Iran, with the US representative condemning the 'suppression of peaceful activists and the detention of foreign citizens.' The Saudi representative also stated that Iran is 'the root of all problems' in the Middle East. Some countries, including Syria or North Korea, have also criticized Jahangir's report, just like Iran. Russia has also stated that it opposes selective reports on specific countries. Several countries say they are in contact with Iranian officials to improve the human rights situation in Iran, and representatives of European countries have also expressed concern about issues such as the high number of executions in Iran. According to reports during the third committee meeting of the UN, representatives of Syria and Saudi Arabia began shouting at each other in response to one another, leading to both of their microphones being cut off, although the shouting continued. Bloomberg news reported that after Saudi Arabia praised Jahangir's report, Amjad Qasem-Agha, a Syrian diplomat, called on the UN to investigate the military campaign of the Riyadh-led coalition in Yemen. At this point, the Saudi representative interrupted the Syrian representative's remarks. Bloomberg reported that the remaining representatives and diplomats present at the 'Third Committee' meeting witnessed the shouting between Saudi and Syrian officials, even after their microphones were cut off. Ultimately, the chair of the session decided to give a ten-minute break.