US State Department Report: Human Rights Situation in Iran Deteriorated in 2023

The US State Department released its annual report on the human rights situation in various countries on Monday, April 22, 2023. The section regarding human rights in Iran states that the severe restrictions imposed by the Islamic Republic regarding human rights worsened in several areas throughout the year. Discrimination against women, with pressure for mandatory hijab, is one of the issues cited in the report as an indicator of the deteriorating human rights situation in Iran. This year's report also indicates that the number of executions in Iran rose to 798 in 2023, a 37% increase compared to 2022. Key human rights violations highlighted in this report include arbitrary or unlawful killings by the Islamic Republic and its agents. The report cites multiple credible reports stating that the Iranian government and its agents committed arbitrary killings throughout 2023, including executions for crimes that do not meet the international legal standards for 'most serious crimes,' or for crimes committed by juvenile offenders, as well as death sentences issued after trials lacking fair judicial processes. There are reports of disappearances of individuals by government officials. Plainclothes forces arrested lawyers, journalists, and activists without legal warrants, and government officials refrained from providing any information about them or confirming their arrests. The report mentions four members of the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan who were arrested in July 2022, and despite their apparent forced confessions being aired on state television, no one knows their whereabouts by the end of the year. The use of physical and psychological torture to coerce confessions was common, especially during pre-trial detention, including in cases of detained protesters, and there are reports that government security forces and prison staff tortured and abused prisoners throughout the year. NGOs and international media reported numerous instances of torture, beatings, or sexual assault against individuals during detention by security forces and prison personnel throughout the year. According to the report, common methods of torture and abuse in prisons included threats of execution and sexual assault. Threats of sexual assault against prisoners or their family members, forced vaginal and anal examinations, sleep deprivation, waterboarding, forced ingestion of chemicals, deliberate denial of medical care, electric shocks including to genitalia, burns, and severe and repeated beatings were among the torture methods mentioned in the US State Department report. Prison conditions were harsh and often threatening due to overcrowding, denial of adequate medical care, and physical abuse. The US State Department's new report cites NGO reports stating that overcrowding in prisons remained a serious issue. Prison officials often denied medical services for medical problems prisoners had before detention or injuries inflicted by prison officials or diseases resulting from poor sanitary conditions in prisons. Human rights organizations reported that officials used deprivation of medical care as a form of punishment for political prisoners and as intimidation against prisoners who complain or challenge officials. The law mandates that individuals must be arrested with a warrant or summons and specifies that detainees must be informed of the charges against them within 24 hours. However, Islamic Republic officials often keep detainees for extended periods without informing them of charges or trial, frequently denying them contact with family or timely access to a lawyer. Although the Iranian Constitution states that the judiciary is independent, courts are under the political influence of government officials. International observers criticized the lack of independence in the country's judicial system, believing that trials do not adhere to international fair trial standards. The law specifies that defendants have the right to a fair trial, the presumption of innocence until proven guilty, access to their chosen lawyer, and the right to appeal judgments, but these rights were violated throughout 2023. In January, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network reported that the Special Clerical Court in Hamadan sentenced Seyfollah Hosseini, a Sunni Kurdish cleric, to 17 years in prison and 74 lashes for being a member of the leadership council of the Kurdish Quran School. The charges against him included 'disturbing public order,' 'insulting the founder and leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran,' and propaganda against the regime. Numerous reports from NGOs regarding political prisoners and detainees in Iran existed. Although there were no official statistics on the number of prisoners due to political beliefs, the NGO 'United for Iran' identified at least 1,074 prisoners of conscience in the country by the end of 2023. Lawyers who defended or supported political prisoners were often summoned to court or arrested, and in some cases, prosecuted for their professional activities or advocacy. In October, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network reported that Saleh Nikbakht, the lawyer for Mahsa Amini's family, was sentenced to one year in prison for propaganda against the regime. The government imprisoned lawyers and others associated with the Human Rights Defenders Center. The US State Department's report also refers to the Iranian government's actions to intimidate, suppress, or retaliate against opponents abroad, stating that the Islamic Republic has targeted them outside the country by abusing international laws. For example, it mentions Jamshid Sharmahd, Habib Asyoud, and Ruhollah Zam, all of whom were abducted by the Islamic Republic and brought back to Iran.