February 20th, 2006

 

Public statement issued by (IHRAG) “Iranian Human Rights Activist Groups in EU and North America” on the occasion of the forthcoming session of UN Human Rights Commission

 

One month after United Nation’s General Assembly Resolution

 

To: Human Rights Defenders and organizations around the world:

On the International Day of Human Rights on December 10th, 2005, IHRAG published a seven-month summary report (April-October 2005) registering the continuance of Human Rights violations in Iran since the last session of UNHRC in March 2005. (Part of the report is enclosed.)

 

This summary clearly demonstrates that the pretentious promises of the IR of Iran to the international community to comply with Human Rights conventions in Iran is merely a devious tactic to elude possible condemnation in United Nation Commission of Human Rights (UNHCHR).

 

On January 16th, 2006, United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a draft resolution regarding the violation of Human Rights in Iran. The UNGA resolution states its deepest concern with respect to the continuation of torture, cruel and inhuman punishment and derogatory treatment of detainees in Iran.

 

Public execution and punishment of under-aged felons, violation of the rights of ethnic and religious minorities, and harassment and intimidation of Human Rights defenders, journalists and web-loggers, culminating with their indictments are some other issues mentioned in UNGA resolution condemning IR of Iran’s Human Rights violation.

 

The following statistics cover part of IR of Iran’s account in a month since adoption of UNGA resolution:

1)           Execution of convicted felons (by hanging)                                                                     15 cases

2)           Death sentences issued                                                                                                    24 cases

3)           Death sentences issued for felons 18 and under                                                               2 cases

4)           Forced summons, interrogations and conviction of students

by various security and judicial tribunals                                                                        82 cases

5)           Retaliated punishment to body organs (dismemberment)                                                2 cases

6)           Political prisoners in hunger strike                                                                                  20 cases

7)           Summoning and forceful interrogation of political, cultural

and social activists                                                                                                           52 cases

8)           Trial and conviction for political, cultural and social activists                                        35 cases

9)           Suspicious and untimely death in prison (member of Baha’i faith)                                    1 case

10)       Banned publication of books, dailies, websites and hindering

various NGO’s civil activities through coercion and threat                                           38 cases

 

Additionally, recent arrest and beating of members of Workers’ Union of Tehran Bus Company and their family members in Tehran (around 1000 people), as well as detention and beating of          1000 mendicants of Gonabadi Faith in the City of Qum, are two more undeniable examples of continued, systematic and widespread violations of Human Rights in Iran.

These figures clearly demonstrate that, contrary to the claims of the government of IR of Iran, these acts are systematic government backed violations of Human Rights, rather than acts committed by a handful of rogue or overzealous agents.

 

Hence, it is clear that:

  • In the last few years, the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, by engaging in   untimely, framed, and porous dialogue with International institution, manipulated this process to evade international condemnation for violation of Human Rights.
  • And due to the lack of means coupled with imposed and pervasive restrictions, monitoring IR of Iran’s non-compliance to the Human Rights standard by Human Rights organizations inside Iran is unattainable.

 

We, Iranian Human Rights Activists Groups in EU and North America (IHRAG) hereby appeal for condemnation of Human Rights violation in the forthcoming United Nation’s Human Right Commission (UNHCHR) in March 2006 in Geneva.

 

In addition, we are seeking the appointment of a permanent and special Reporter by UNHCHR as a means of monitoring Human Rights violation in Iran.

 

Consequently, a collective effort by all Human Rights activists and defenders to further these requirements is humbly requested.

 

Iranian Human Rights Activist Groups in EU and North America (IHRAG)

www.hriran.org / hiran@hiran.org

Phone: 1 - 514 – 365 9212 (Canada) or 46 -704-124-500 (Sweden)

Iranian Human Rights Activists Association, Canada - Human Rights defense committee of Iran, Sweden - Vereinigung zur Verteidigung der Menschenrechte im Iran, Deutschland - Stichting vor de Verdediging van Demokratie in Iran, Nederland – Iranian – Canadian community Association of western Canada, Vancouver - Committee to Defend Human Rights in Iran, California, U.S.A. -Noran (supporting committee for human rights in Iran ), Norway – Activist of Human Rights - Iran testimony - Committee for defense of Liberty and Democracy in Iran – Austria, Alliance for Human Rights defense in Iran – Washington, U.S.A – Association of defender of Human Rights and democracy in Iran, France- Iranian Human Rights Activists group, Switzerland - Center of activists for the defense of Human Rights in Iran, Belgium, Menschenrechtgruppe IRAN Deutschland - Verein zur Unterstützung der Politischen Gefangene im Iran, Berlin, Deutschland - Unione per la Democrazia in Iran, Italia


December 10th, 2005

 

To: Human Rights Organizations and Activists of the World

On the occasion of the 54th anniversary of the International Day of Human Rights, we would like to draw a picture of human rights violations in Iran, for your information.

This report merely covers a seven-month period since March 2005, when the UN Human Rights Commission failed to place Islamic Republic (IR) of Iran on the agenda of its latest meeting in Geneva.

The following statistics were collected from domestic news services and publications in Iran. One should bear in mind that due to media censorship, lack of freedom of unofficial news agencies, as well as limitations imposed on the activities of human rights organizations in Iran, true figures of these violations tend to be much larger that the ones reported below.

Reported Human Rights Violations from April through October 2005

1)           Student activists summoned and interrogated                                                       254       cases

2)           Trial and conviction of students by “Disciplinary

Committees” and judiciary                                                                                      66      

3)           Detention of students                                                                                                  8      

4)           Banned student publications                                                                                      6      

5)           Forced interrogating of journalists and bloggers                                                   46      

6)           Detention of journalists                                                                                            10      

7)           Trial and conviction of journalists and bloggers                                                    21      

8)           Banned publications and internet news sites                                                          12      

9)           Expulsion of journalists                                                                                           54      

10)       Public and official banning of books                                                                       20      

11)       Summoning and interrogation of political, cultural,

and social activists                                                                                                   72      

12)       Arrest and detention of political, cultural, and social activists                           141      

13)       Trial and conviction of political, cultural, and social activists                           157      

14)       Imposing bail on political prisoners                                                                        31      

15)       Hunger strike by political prisoners                                                                         40      

16)       Political prisoners in danger of execution                                                                9      

17)       Executed political prisoners                                                                                       2      

18)       People shot and killed by police and security forces                                               14      

19)       People condemned to execution                                                                             101      

20)       People hanged                                                                                                           43      

21)       Stoning sentences for women                                                                                     2      

22)       Sentence of eye gouging                                                                                             2      

23)       Sentence of dismembering right arm and left foot                                                    2      

24)       Mass arrest of public for political reasons                                                           1609      

25)       Mass arrest of public for social reasons                                                             18195      

26)       Disqualification of presidential and parliamentary elections                            1158      

As demonstrated by these statistics, it is obvious that, contrary to claims by the government, they are not merely isolated acts of a few overzealous agents.  They rather clearly show that the government of Islamic Republic of Iran employs all resources available towards the continuous, systematic, and widespread violations of the human rights of Iranian people.

 

Therefore, based on these facts, as well as the fact that Islamic Republic of Iran repeatedly reneged on it’s commitments to international human rights organizations, we urge you to do your utmost to achieve the condemnation of government of Islamic Republic of Iran in the General Assembly and Human Rights Commission of the United Nations.

Iranian Human Rights Activist Groups in EU and North America (IHRAG)

www.hriran.org / hiran@hiran.org

Phone: 1 - 514 – 365-9212 (Canada) or 46 -704-124-500 (Sweden)